


At the End of the Day

by Artificial_Starlight



Series: A Home You Belong To [1]
Category: One Piece
Genre: Alternate Universe, Asexual Monkey D. Luffy, Demiromantic Trafalgar Law, Depression, Domestic Fluff, Family Feels, Hospitals, Insomnia, LuLaw, Luffy Is a Little Shit, M/M, Medical Procedures, Not a source of Medical Knowledge, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Protectiveness, Self-Discovery, Slow Romance, Somebody Lives/Not Everyone Dies, Suicidal Thoughts, Voyeurism, parasomnia - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-23
Updated: 2020-10-11
Packaged: 2021-02-26 22:00:25
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 30
Words: 192,229
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21536089
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Artificial_Starlight/pseuds/Artificial_Starlight
Summary: It was such a simple thing to get worked up about, he knew, and maybe it was because he's so removed from normal social interaction that the idea of new friends coming into his life only bothered him. He only needed the three - they gave him enough trouble! They already bugged him enough to hang out, already caused drama that he was dragged into, already teased him about his idiosyncrasies...They already knew about his issues; spent years around his ever changing moods as he tried to be less angry, less scared, less obsessive. They already tried with mixed results to help him sleep, heal, and trust. He didn't need anyone else getting that close.However, as he began to walk away, he couldn't help but believe that not taking Straw-hat's words seriously would be a mistake.
Relationships: Aokiji | Kuzan/Donquixote "Corazon" Rosinante, Franky/Nico Robin, Monkey D. Luffy/Trafalgar D. Water Law
Series: A Home You Belong To [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1967395
Comments: 478
Kudos: 523





	1. Dawn - Chapter 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Law the Surgeon

He was buried under corpses, the lifeless eyes of the man he’d see at the grocery store staring at him, his body heavy; too still, too cold, and Law couldn’t move him. He couldn’t do anything but try to breathe, paralyzed with fear, listening to his lungs wheeze. The back of his throat tickled, dry and sore from smoke inhalation and his mouth tasted of ash and all he could smell was death so strong it was almost sweet. 

He wanted to scream for help, for anyone to take him away, make the distant gunshots disappear, soothe him to sleep like his mother would, as she tucked him into bed. He wished she was here to hold him, run her fingers through his hair and talk to him with that voice that made him feel loved. Or his father, who he thought was invincible; never afraid of the monsters under his bed, always stood strong and tall and made him feel safe. He’d resisted those childish notions lately, being ten years old and passed the age for bedtime stories and fearing the dark. 

But the sound of voices nearby made him swallow around a thick tongue, stifling a cough - he would give anything for his parents to be here now; ten years old was too young, he couldn’t do it alone and the monsters were real. They weren’t under his bed or closet but _here_ , close enough that he feared they would see him. They were soldiers in hazard suits with machine guns and torches and everyone he ever trusted or loved were dead and nobody would protect him now. 

A sudden addition of weight on top of him almost made him cry out, the grocer that he recognized, Mr Lou, was now completely surrounding him in a weird embrace, Law had to turn his head to avoid being smothered by his chest. Blood from the man’s fatal wounds smeared along his cheek and a whimper left him; he’d been holding in his terror, the sobs stuck in his throat, knowing that if he was found he’d be joining the dead. However, as another body was thrown across the pile, he felt like he already had. 

The grocer who would make funny faces at him to get him to laugh, the lady who lived a few houses down who had a son Law’s age - who he saw dying in front of the church, crying for her before he stopped breathing - a teacher who taught him geography and world history last year, people _he knew_ , they seem to crowd him. Their empty eyes begged him to stay, their stiff limbs wrapping around him, they were so heavy and he was still being buried and maybe he’d be crushed, he couldn’t _breathe_ but he didn’t want to die -

And then he woke up.

He realized he was in a dark room; popcorn ceiling and a fan above him, sheets around him, and he was holding his breath.

His diaphragm refused to work, paralyzed with terror, still caught in the nightmare until he forced himself to roll over. He had only meant to stand up or change positions but he was closer to the end of the bed than he thought and he sent himself right over the edge. Able to catch himself with his palm, he only just managed not to hit the carpeted floors face-first, but his right side from hip to knee took the worst of it. The good news was that the pain was jarring enough to get his lungs to work and he gasped in much needed oxygen.

Remaining where he fell, twisted on his side he could distantly hear muffled whimpers and gasping wet breaths in quick succession. They were from him, he knew, and if he was able to think logically at this time he would be able to list all these observations under medical diagnosis.

A night terror that took effect in REM sleep, obstructive sleep apnea that caused him to stop breathing, hyperventilating and shaking from the panic attack. It was likely that he was also in a state of confusional arousal that usually occurs after such an episode as the patient slowly differentiates between dream and reality. They were generally unresponsive to stimuli and not fully aware. 

Coming back little by little he noticed things. He was sweating excessively, crying also, and the floor was cold, the fan was on and clicking softly, the sheet was still wrapped around his legs and he had dragged his pillow to the floor with him. He tried to focus on his senses, a tactic he learned from a stupid self-help booklet, and picked apart the sensations. 

The wetness on his cheek were tears, not blood. The constriction of his chest was because of the twisting of his sleep-shirt. The fibers of the carpet in his fist were not gravel and dirt. The dryness of his throat was not due to smoke and he didn’t feel any pain other than his right hip from the fall.

Slowly, he raised himself to sit up, steadying his inhales and exhales to control them and his hands came together in his lap, fingers finding a pulse point to count the BPM. He didn’t know how long it took, but he let himself take all the time he needed to pull himself together, used to the routine by now.

Only after he was calm did he try to stand up, bracing himself with the bed frame and helping his shaking legs take more of his weight. He rearranged the sheets and pillow into a pile on the mattress and picked up his phone from the wireless charger to check the time. 

Saturday, October 6th, 2018

4:45am

He got _maybe_ four hours. That was good in his experience. He’s had years to get accustomed to his issues and the complicated relationship he had with sleep. _Still_ , he thought, as his eyes weighed down heavily and his vision blurred, _it was never enough_.

While his phone was still open he navigated to an app where he kept his recorded medical history. He logged the time and watched as the application updated and ran calculations to determine his average sleep cycle. Four hours seemed right about average, but this was his second episode of parasomnia in the form of night terrors in the last _week_ , which was higher than normal. His phone warned him about notifying his psychiatrist, who he was negligent in going to for his monthly check up… it had been four months since he’s seen her.

He closed the app, continued to ignore the notification, and decided on getting ready for the day. He’d only have an hour before his morning alarm would sound, he could go on a quick run, take a shower, and grab a coffee on his way to work.

He kept the lights off as he got dressed, the single window he had on the other side of the bedroom didn’t have curtains so the moon’s light was bright enough to see by. While there was nobody living here but him he was used to staying quiet, and as it was before five the world seemed so still that making too much noise would disturb the peace. So he creeped down the stairs and passed the living room where a brand new couch occupied the space, facing towards a fireplace and wall mounted television that he rarely used. 

A few boxes littered the area, waiting to be unpacked, but it was an organized mess. He’d only been living here a week and was still settling in; most of the furniture was new and delivered in place, and he had groceries now. The master bedroom upstairs had plush tan carpet but the living area below had real wood flooring and the kitchen he went through was finished with granite countertops, stainless steel appliances, and a large island facing the living room. 

The whole condominium was luxurious; located in a nice part of town, in a well groomed community. It was a little two story townhouse with a garage and an open layout which was popular nowadays. The only negative was the sides of the townhome, while not sharing a singular wall between them, were still too close to the neighbors for any windows, so they used skylights to bring natural lighting in, along with a large wall of windows to the back that overlooked the community lake.

While being a drawback for others, Law felt comforted by the lack of windows that people could use to look in on. He felt submerged, in a place distinctly his, blocked off from the rest of the world. For when the world became too much for him. He also was desperate to find a place to buy at all, he was short on time, and this was far removed enough that he purchased it the same day he toured it. He paid in full, a hearty sum that Law did not even hesitate on and was moving things in a week later.

While he didn’t prioritize the community amenities when he was looking for a place, he quickly found that the grounds were a very nice perk. When he walked out the back door, he was faced with a glimpse of the lake peeking out from a dense crop of trees. The sky was lightening behind the scene and the air was brisk as fall turned the colors of the trees.

There was a concrete path he followed, setting off at a slow pace that would get his blood going, passing homes that looked just like his in various colors. The breeze and the exercise removed the last of the fog from his mind and by the time he got to the bank of the man-made lake he felt normal again. The flashes of his nightmares receding with the rise of the sun. Unlike many, he never took headphones with him when he jogged, preferring to hear the rhythmic sounds of his shoes hitting the pavement and the nature around him. He started to see other joggers on the path as he rounded the lake and looped back to his house but he hadn’t met any neighbors yet and wasn’t keen on making friends with any of them.

It was pushing five-thirty when he returned to his house, breathing hard with exertion but feeling much better. His muscles appreciated the hot shower and he felt clean and focused, enough that he gathered a razor and cream up to scrape the stubble off his cheeks and lips. 

Leaving a small bit of beard on his chin and a bit of sideburns on either side, he looked at his reflection and remembered another face, so clear after his dream. Despite the many years it had been since his father’s death, he still remembered the man’s features, and knew he looked very similar as he aged.

Dark black hair, olive skin, narrow eyes that had a bit of a middle eastern shape to them, bright amber eyes irises that were lighter than his father’s but so different from the dark brown of his mother’s or younger sister’s. There wasn’t much he carried from his mother, actually. Maybe the nose and lips, and his frame was more lithe than his father’s was but he thinks he’d surely be taller than his mother by now, were she alive to compare. 

He wished it was easier to remember her features, but he didn’t have enough of a resemblance to her like his sister had. She was lighter skinned, had blonde - or maybe caramel colored - hair, brown eyes, short, delicate. He remembered how soft her hands were and that he liked playing with her hair when she carried him around.

Keeping his beard and sideburns reminded him of them, but it also helped hide how young he was. He was just about to turn 25 years old - in a couple of days actually - but that was still thought of as incredibly young in his career as a surgeon. In his field of medical practice, that was prodigious, and the other doctors treated him differently when they realized this. So from the moment in college that he could grow decent facial hair, he kept it.

There were bags under his eyes, a dark bruised look that he always carried with him, but he was otherwise very sharp looking; two small golden hoops in each ear and tattoos stood out strikingly against his tan skin. There was a black swirled heart taking up most of his torso with a strange smiling face at the top where the two halves met. It was also on his back just at his shoulder blades; a perfect circle with rounded oval eyes and split in half with teeth in a grin; rays came off the circumference in the shape of “T's” making it look like a sun. Black swirls spanned his biceps to his shoulders and dark empty pits of ink were on his forearms and the back of his hands. They were modeled after the black spot, a mark of death and tragedy to follow no matter where he went, given to the guilty as judgement. Lastly, on his fingers were the letters D.E.A.T.H. 

He realized he had a bit of a twisted obsession regarding death, and the irony that he was a surgeon who saved people, was not lost on him. Was actually the point. Although it generally scared the patients he treated if they saw the tattoos on his hands before they went into an operation, so he kept them under gloves most of the time, they were his most distinguished tattoos. It was hard to miss, it garnered a lot of attention and questions, but every time he saw them he was reminded of his entire purpose in life. 

It was a dark outlook really, but after all the death he had seen and all the times where he couldn’t do anything - where he wasn’t good enough - he was finally in a place where he could _save_ lives instead. 

When he was able to help people cheat death and live another day he felt a little bit better about being alive himself. 

Another good thing about working as a doctor was his attire; not many fashion decisions to be made regarding scrubs. He had about a dozen sets in various shades of black, blue, and yellow. He went with a black pair and also put on his work shoes, tying them in a knot that wouldn’t come loose during his hours of running around corridors.

While his new place was technically close enough to walk to the medical district, he usually took his car, especially as he typically had passengers going into work. These passengers lived a few blocks away and loved to make house visits now that he was close enough, so when the doorbell rang he was pretty sure of who it was at his doorstep. 

He didn’t need to let them in, he regrettably had given them a key.

“Hey Captain!” He heard from downstairs along with bumps and curses as two morons stumbled into his house in their usual obnoxious way, loud in everything they did. He listened to them make a ruckus in his living room and hurried to join them before they started to make a mess. 

Two men, older than he was by a few years were arguing back and forth over the remote to the television while a man younger than him was sitting quietly on the plump couch, mumbling pleasantly and he bounced on the cushions. They didn’t notice him yet as he paused on the stairs and he watched fondly.

Shachi with red hair and glasses, and Peng (nicknamed Penguin) with black hair and a hat modeled after his nickname, were similar in build with Penguin being slightly taller. He was also the eldest of all of them, but you couldn’t tell when he was successfully being baited by his ever present friend Shachi. They were always so lively, but Law knew they forced it sometimes for his sake, and thanks to them Law actually had a social life, even if it just included the three. 

Bepo, the meek one on the couch was very different from the other two; quiet and non-confrontational, but so kind and loyal. He was a lot bigger in build; tall with some weight packed on, but strong underneath from the martial arts training he’s been in since he was a teen. He had platinum blond, almost white hair and dark eyes that never quite met anyone else’s when he spoke to them. Bepo had always been extremely shy and soft spoken and Law wondered sometimes how they could be friends for so long, especially when the other two were so aggressive. Whatever the reason, he was thankful, because Bepo was one of the first friends he made and the man tried so hard to follow Law everywhere he could - even to medical school.

In the last few years of them being friends, the nickname _captain_ grew through his department, mostly thanks to them as they started it. The team that he had selected were all chosen for their skills but also for their ability to work with him. It was hard to genuinely get along with someone like Law who demanded so much and had a particular way of doing everything, but these three had several years of practice and for some unfathomable reason, stuck around still.

Leaning on the banister, he put on a smirk. “What are you doing over so early? Don’t you think some people are still sleeping?”

Shachi and Penguin jumped and put down the remote like they were caught but their grins were unashamed. “Hey Cap,” Shachi called. “Of course you’d be up by now!”

Bepo spoke up over them, “Sorry, did we wake you up?”

Penguin chuckled at Bepo’s gullibility. “You look like you’ve been up for a while, how have you been adjusting to the new place?”

Of course they knew about his sleeping disorders, having witnessed them through the years. He didn’t want to lie to them, they’d see through it anyway, but he never got into the details. “Not great, but it’s fine.”

“Does the medicine help?”

Law sighed shaking his head. “Not really. It's the third prescription I've tried." It's one of the reasons he's not been to the doctor in a while. Other than the fact that he hated to talk about the source or cause of these issues.

Truthfully, PTSD was just as difficult to treat today as it was fifty years ago and Law would much rather do his best to forget things than set up monthly appointments to relive his nightmares. All while the therapist pretends to have the experience to do something about it - their typical patients were not immigrants from a war-torn decimated country with survivor's guilt. And he'd been a child. His was a difficult case and he knew it.

Coupled with the experimental medications used for sleeping disorders, depression, and anxiety, Law felt more like a case study than anything else. So, using his professional doctor's opinion, he stopped going. He could deal with the symptoms and he knew the signs of depression, if nothing else he had something for that and anxiety.

"We're stopping for coffee on the way in," He stated as he snatched his jacket from the couch and made sure he had everything. Phone, wallet, keys, and pens - scrub pockets could hold it all.

Nobody had any protests as they followed him to the garage. Shachi the only one to laugh and murmur about the caffeine addiction before changing his tune when he remembered the cute barista he'd get to see.

One of the only reasons he got a sedan was because of these three; a sleek four-door in a bright yellow. It turned heads because of its price tag as well as it's blinding color, but he argued that he could have had an even better two-door coup had he not been playing soccer-mom.

"You know, we could have also pooled together money to get ourselves a car too, but we decided to be nice and let you chofer us around," Shachi would say haughtily. The little brat.

Bepo took the shotgun seat since he had longer legs and Law liked him better. He didn't try to mess with the radio but instead stared out the window as they drove by the lake on their way out of the neighborhood.

There was a busy highway just down the road that seemed to mark the line between rural and urban and on the other side of it was the medical district; a four block gathering of buildings dedicated to the hospital and research center. Some buildings were so tall that Law could see them over the trees when he jogged, especially since they never went to sleep. The lights would always shine and push back a bit of that natural darkness at night.

"It sucks that we're going to work on a Saturday," Penguin whined. "Other people get to go swimming and sailing."

"Don't complain, we'll go to the lake eventually."

"Like, after work?"

Bepo made a small noise. "No, we have the donation banquet tonight."

Everyone groaned at the reminder, even Law. “Bepo,” he began, voice deep with rejection. “I’m not-“

“You said you’d come with me to see Cheryl, the neuroblastoma patient, remember?"

Law remembered. She was a seven year old child with a particularly aggressive form of cancer. Their facility was one of the few in the country that had a program to treat it but it was not an easy process. She was given a very high dosage of radiation and had to be isolated as a result, both for her and other's protection. Law had been very close to the case and spoke with the girl and her mother regularly. She reminded him so much of his little sister Lami. It was difficult not to be moved by her suffering and remain at a professional distance.

"And you can donate money to the cause, I know that’s important to you. You donate to it every year."

"And I could do that without going to a stupid banquet."

Shachi agreed loudly from the back seat. "Come on, Bepo, we could go swimming, you love swimming."

"I'm sorry," Bepo apologized. "I just thought it would be interesting to see her perform. And they are supposed to have really good food - some famous chef or something who volunteered to cater it." 

"Well," The red hummed. "Guess we _could_ -"

"Oh, come on, Shachi," Penguin groaned.

"Hey, if there's food then that changes everything!"

"Captain, it's your vote."

Bepo leaned forward like his wide pleading eyes would convince Law and behind him, the other two went silent, waiting for his decision. Since they made an even group it was sometimes hard to come to decisions when there was a split and for that reason they made Law's vote count as two.

He didn't care for social gatherings, he hated the stuffy small talk, and seeing the girl who looked like Lami would hurt, but he _did_ care about its cause and wanted to help her and everyone else like her. And he had to stop avoiding things just because he was afraid of bringing back bad memories. If anything, the fact that he was uncomfortable with it made him want to go more, he was stubborn even against himself in that way.

"I'll go." Though he couldn't make himself sound happy about it. Even Penguin sounded completely fine with the answer though which he rolled his eyes at; why his presence was so important for them to go to this event was beyond him, but he felt warm all the same that they cared so much.

The Polar Tang Hospital in Goa city was a large building with three floors consisting of an emergency department, surgical suites, and imaging services. Cancer treatment was done along the basement level but there was an infusion area with an atrium above. It was adjacent to the larger public atrium, four stories tall leading to the roof garden and connecting the cafeteria, cafe, gift shop, and quiet areas.

Directly to either side of the facility was a parking garage and a research center/ laboratory with clinical space. Above these basic support floors were two rectangular six-story units of patient rooms, the architecture broken up by outdoor areas with gardens. In the middle of it all was a tower rising like a mast of steel and glass; part of the atrium and central elevator. Law thought of it as a ship, especially as the exterior glass curved in a way that reminded him of a hull.

He spent more time here than anywhere else and knew the hallways like the back of his hand - could navigate the place with his eyes closed. Every department knew him from his shifts at one point or another as he'd been in his general residency for over five years. He practiced all manner of operations under an experienced mentor before becoming a fully independent surgeon, the youngest and most talented in the region to have finished all the education and experiential requirements.

Recently though, he'd applied for a fellowship to specialize in cardiothoracic surgery. The heart and lungs were much more interesting and challenging than the everyday gastrointestinal or tumor issues he dealt with, but his colleagues just claimed that he was a masochist or unsatisfied with the already ridiculous amount of money he was paid a year.

In truth, he just needed to feel consumed by his work. It's what he had been striving for all his life, ever since he followed his father into work as a kid, trailing behind a white coat, waiting for the day he'd wear one of his own. He'd been so obsessed with continuing that dream, even when his father died, that it was the only thing he'd known. After he reached the goal of being a doctor, he needed another; a surgeon, and then another; a specialized one. He was afraid of what would happen if he stopped, if he'd feel empty and dull without the challenge. 

Sure, the extra money on top of the salary is nice, not that he needed it, but he could donate to charity or whatever. He had already spoken to the board to ensure he wasn’t going anywhere. They didn’t have many specialized services other than a pediatric wing and a few doctors practiced in orthopedic operations. While he wouldn’t be the only cardiovascular expert in the building, his skills as a surgeon would mean a lot to the hospital and was one of the leading practitioners pulling in revenue.

His crew was supportive, which helped tremendously and Penguin, Shachi, and Bepo would still be with him no matter what. They understood his passion and need to push himself to be better and do better, even if they said he was already the best. And as loud and obnoxious as they were, he was proud of how far they'd come too.

Bepo was the best RN he could ask for; he took care of staffing and gave the crew their duties and ensured Law had everything he needed for scheduled operations or appointments. Sometimes he thought the man more busy and stressed out than _he_ was but he handled the responsibilities well. Despite his meek nature that suggested he could be stepped on, people learned really quick that he had a will of steel when it came to it.

Shachi was the best when dealing with children and as a nurse he was one of the first people the patients would see; his bubbly personality was always helping them stay calm. This was especially important when it came to imaging equipment. People usually got freaked out with the big machinery, strange noises, and small spaces but with Shachi there they tended to be more comfortable as he distracted them with jokes. He also took care of any resident lab work or requests that needed to be done across the way in the research department, which was another job all on its own, so he technically had two roles.

Penguin was very different when it came to work; he was calm and serious even in dire situations and had a particular eye for detail that has saved more than one life. They were all trained in resuscitation and emergency interventions but Peng was the best assistant to have in a challenging or dangerous operation. In fact, Law had asked why he didn't go further and become a surgeon himself, since he seemed to have the backbone for it. The man had smiled and shook his head, saying he didn't want the job; he did good, he saved people, and he was needed the most right where he was.

They were early for their shift, but that just meant that they had more time to prepare. A perk of being a surgeon was his reserved parking spot close to the entrance on the first floor, it opened straight to the elevator lobby but they passed it to get to the cafe on the other side. Shachi skipped ahead, smile ready for the barista behind the counter, a girl Law never got the name of but seemed just Shachi's type; blonde, light green eyes, petite figure. She had glasses and spoke with a soft voice and generally seemed nice and intelligent. All Law cared about was how good the coffee was.

Her blush made the freckles on her cheeks stand out more and she always seemed flustered when they came to order. It was no wonder when Shachi laid it on a little thick; he complimented her hair, made a terrible pun when he ordered his coffee, and asked if she had any plans for the weekend. Small talk that continued even after he'd ordered and moved over for the others.

Peng snickered a few times and Bepo knocked against his shoulder softly, murmuring a quiet, "Be nice, it's cute."

Law was the last to order, stepping forward to the counter. "Just a cappuccino. Medium."

She nodded, writing his name on the cup and adding it to the others. "You said there was a party?" She asked softly.

"Yeah! Well, maybe not a _fun_ party but - Bepo, where is it?"

"The museum downtown is hosting. There's a silent auction for children's artwork that will be displayed."

Shachi's expression brightened even more. "The museum! You like museums? They're fun, right?"

 _At least she's able to converse and make their orders at the same time_ , Law thought. The hospital was never empty so even at this hour people were wandering around. Visitors and patients waiting, staff on breaks; a few of the tables were taken and a couple customers began to line up at the front again. "Will you all be going?"

"Yeah, I'm sure we could get you in if you wanted to come!"

"Maybe," She smiled, looking down at her hands as she worked the espresso machine, a coworker came up to help and she slowly turned back to the register. "I'll ask if I can get off a little early."

You'd think the whole world lit up with the way Shachi beamed. "Sure thing!" Penguin started to drag him away from the bar so she could get back to work. Not all of their orders were finished but Bepo and Law were waiting further away from the bar, politely out of conversation distance, and the other two joined. "Guys," He said breathlessly. "I might have a date!"

"Yeah, yeah," Penguin patted his shoulder. "A chance anyway."

"She totally likes me, you think? Bepo, is she looking this way?"

Bepo humored him. "She has glanced this way a couple times."

The red head was shaking with excitement. "She's so cute."

Law didn't really understand the draw, but he knew Shachi was a romantic at heart. He loved to read all the cheesy books with true love and fantasy and 'saving the damsel in distress' and that often transposed itself into his expectations of reality. People who didn't know him would call him a pervert or a flirt with the way he acted, but Law knew that he was looking for something much more meaningful than a fling. While he hadn't been _lonely_ per say, he'd been wanting company, even going so far as to drag all of them to a speed dating event. Sadly, the few girls he's dated since Law knew him in college were not of the commitment type.

Shachi poured everything he was into a relationship and tended to scare them away - Law _had_ told him that asking to leave a toothbrush at a woman's house after dating for only three weeks was moving way too fast, but he refused to listen!

He was so passionate about things; it was one of the reasons Law liked him so much, but even after knowing him for so long it still got overwhelming sometimes. Nothing was ever like the books or movies where there was love at first sight and they lived happily ever after, but for the sake of Shachi's feelings, he held that in.

His friend was a good person and he would treat anyone with respect and dote on them all he could if they were in a relationship. Law firmly believed that it would make someone very happy - he may yet grow out of the storybook romance idea, but that didn't mean he wouldn't find what he needed, maybe in this barista even.

Law's name was called, the last to get his order, and he went to pick it up. The others waited with their drinks on the outskirts of the tables, Shachi still saying something and the others listening with a look of acceptance and suffering. He could commiserate, as he knew Shachi would be talking about this all day. The girl was holding out his coffee and he finally read her name tag - Senna - as he took it. She blushed again, which he found ridiculous; she must not have much confidence if she was constantly flustered at everything.

He turned around with his coffee, bringing it to his lips when he notices something. The paper cup had one of those cardboard sleeves to protect against the heat but there was something on it. He moved his hand to look and stared at the black lines of script.

_See you tonight? ;)_

xxx-xxx-xxxx

Surprised, he looked back over his shoulder, wondering - hoping - that maybe this wasn't for him. That she was meaning to give this sleeve to Shachi who had shown interest in her and asked her out in the first place. But her green eyes met his, and he could see that there was no mistake.

He was distantly aware of how nice he looked and that those _exotic_ looks combined with his career choice and success made him a much desired partner. But that was as far as their interests went; even the ones who genuinely wanted to know him ended up not liking him. He didn’t really care, as he didn't seem to have the same needs as most people; relationships weren't worth it and he never found anyone he was particularly attracted to. It’s gotten to the point that he’s not even flattered by their admiration anymore, especially when it was so carelessly thrown out there.

Cold rage began to fill him and he sent a quick glance to the others to see if any of them noticed. Shachi was thankfully distracted with a story still, hands waving animatedly and just the thought of his friend's face if he knew about this hurt Law; witnessing all that happy hope as it's crushed. The redhead didn't deserve that.

He spun around on his heel, marched right back to the bar and slipped the sleeve off the mug, discreetly tossing it over the counter to the floor by her feet and grabbed another from the dispenser. "You shouldn't fucking pretend to be into someone when you're not." His voice was flat and cold, his eyes rose to catch her's and she flinched at his glare.

Her eyes broke away to the floor and she trembled. "I'm sor-"

"Save it," He snapped. "It's too bad you can't get off early. Shachi will be disappointed you couldn't come."

The poor girl looked like she was going to cry, and if he wasn't so angry about what this could do to his friend, he would feel bad about that. It's not like she straight up said she had been interested in Shachi. But she'd given him hope and attention and went along with his flirtation when she had other intentions all along. If there was one thing he couldn't stand, it was manipulators.

Law tried to wipe the anger off his face as he joined the others. Thankfully, he tended to always look grumpy. "Let's get to work," he said, leading the way.

"I can't wait until six!" Shachi grinned.

Law couldn't look at him. He wondered if he should say something; tell him she wasn't coming or wait until he figures it out but he knew he wouldn't be able to lie. Not to them. _Let Shachi be happy for this little while_ , He decided. _And when the time comes, be there to cheer him up_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is what happens when I start slice-of-life stories.


	2. Dawn - Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Luffy the Boxer

He must have an attention deficit disorder, because whenever there was a slight distraction Luffy seemed to lose his train of thought. It was a lot worse as a kid and he probably should have gone to a doctor and gotten it officially diagnosed and treated or whatever, but his family grew up rather poor, he didn’t have much of an authoritative figure in his life that cared enough, and by comparison this brother’s narcolepsy was far worse of a thing that was still untreated too. 

It didn’t really matter to Luffy; other than his dismal grades in school, this ADHD thing didn’t disturb him too much. He forgot things a lot and had a short attention span but generally he was just fidgety - never the type to sit still. Mood swings, while more prominent as a kid, hadn’t been terribly bad either; usually a mix of excited, happy, anxious, and bored. They joked that Ace got all the aggression in the family because Luffy never displayed much anger and was actually more of the crybaby.

All of these things were accepted more as traits than a symptom of a disorder and by this point, Luffy would be surprised at anyone who would say differently. As if he could change and be a whole different person if he was treated; like his personality and everything he did was a result of a chemical imbalance in his head.

That was stupid, he thought. So what if his brain was different? He still did things because he wanted to do them, and if he wanted to go through life without regrets then he wasn't about to start doubting those decisions. He was Luffy and he had people who loved him as he was - he chose a family that embraced him, all his quirks included.

A pillow _whap_ -ed him on the head just as he thought that and he turned to his friends he’d unknowingly zoned out on. 

“Pay attention, moron!”

Zoro was the culprit, sitting on the sofa behind Luffy who was laying out on the floor of Franky’s living room. Franky was his mechanic friend who worked at the repair and hardware shop with Usopp in the outskirts of Goa. They worked on cars, sold tools and gardening, and outdoor stuff. A bit of a hodgepodge of items but they were known for their abilities around town and they made a good team.

It had been a while since they all hung out and they had decided to get together for a gaming marathon. Combined, there was a total of eight people in the small apartment, and that was with two of their group missing. Tony Chopper was on the university’s campus studying and Nico Robin was working at her flower shop. The others were spread out over the furniture (and floor, like Luffy). 

Franky and Chopper lived together on the first floor of their apartment complex, with Zoro and Sanji living in the apartment above and Luffy and Usopp living on the third. Two other apartments; one with Jinbei and Brook, the other (dubbed the “girls’”) with Robin and Nami were just across the hall. They were stacked close and all had keys to each other’s apartment, so even if there were separate units, it felt like they all lived together. 

People thought it was weird, but Luffy would have been fine if they had decided to get a ten bedroom mansion instead. That way, things wouldn’t be so separated. For instance, Franky had the largest television, so game nights and movie marathons happened at his place, Sanji had a gourmet kitchen and shared meals were at his place, Brook had all his instruments and recording equipment at his.

The girls’ apartment was generally off-limits, and Nami claimed that Luffy’s place was too messy so theirs were the only ones not frequently used.

It had gotten more complicated recently with the development of Franky and Robin’s relationship into something more romantic. They all saw it happening, but the dynamic had changed because of it. For the better, of course Luffy was happy that two of his friends found something special in each other, and when they stated that they’d eventually want to move into a house together, nobody had anything negative to say about it. Then Brook went on tour, Sanji started his restaurant and was barely home, and Chopper was going to officially move into a dorm so he could be closer to his school next year.

That was life and things changed, Luffy understood he needed to be adaptable to it, his friends would still mean just as much to him no matter where they went. They were his family. However, a small part of him was always afraid of losing that. Like he thought he had lost Sabo when his older brother had been in a coma after an accident, like when he felt alone after Ace moved out at eighteen. 

“It’s your turn, Luffy.” 

He lifted his eyes to the television where they had been playing a fighting game and saw the character on it getting thrashed by a dark sorcerer. They had been at this for a couple hours already and since they only had four controllers, they were taking turns at each level, tagging the next group in when they had finished. There were one hundred levels too! Last time Luffy had looked they were at sixty-three and the progression only got harder with each advancement. They were down on health and magic and running low on potions to keep them going - the next supply stop wouldn’t be for another few levels yet.

Luffy’s character was a fierce warrior knight built to take a lot of hits but as a front line fighter, he was running low on stamina and was weak against magic. The shining armor made him look so cool though, and Luffy had worked really hard to get him the best weapons he could. One being a legendary two-handed sword that Zoro scoffed at (but he was just biased against anything that weren’t katanas).

The character on screen looked exactly like him. And then Luffy realized what was happening...

“Oh shit!” He lunged for the controller. It was too late to pause and his character was already down half of their health. “No, no, no!”

He slammed the button for slashes and parries and then mixed it up with special attacks, the sound of frantic button mashing and clicking filled the room along with the dramatic sound effects from the TV, but the ability to save his character from certain death failed him. Red splatter hit the screen with a painted “You Lose” and Luffy threw himself on the ground.

That was it. His character was out. The others would have to go on without him but as they were down one of their main fighters they would be hard-pressed to continue for much longer. Luffy had failed them. 

Usopp patted his shoulder but it came off patronizing. “Don’t worry, my friend. I, the great Usopp, will win the next match and avenge you!”

The man just groaned like he was dying, face buried in the carpet like he was trying to suffocate himself. Now they would play for however long they could without him and he’d be reduced to miserably watching until they all died and then they would spend even longer trying to get back to where they were! 

“Maybe he would have won if he were paying attention to anything but physical damage stats,” A female’s voice mocked from the other side of the room. Luffy turned his head to look at her. Nami was sitting on the couch comfortably, legs crossed, holding a magazine on her lap. She had this air about her, like she was above the childish dramatics that were going on in front of her, but she was always a bit like that. She claimed that she hated this game but she took pride in her character’s ability to annihilate their enemies with elemental magic. 

“I got distracted,” He defended himself.

Usopp muttered something but it was drowned out by Nami’s sharp reprimand. “Here’s an idea, maybe you need more than strength. You can’t just focus on one thing and hope for the best. Instead of relying on skill alone maybe think of strategies -”

“It’s Luffy, Nami.” Usopp deadpanned.

“Are you saying he can’t at least think on the basic level about the things he needs to do to win?”

“Of course not, but you know it’s mostly just instinct for him.”

Luffy frowned, lifting his head up to look at them as they argued back and forth, feeling lost in the conversation now. “Guys,” He said comfortingly. “It’s just a game though.”

“I’m talking about your match coming up, dummy!”

His mouth opened in an “Oh” and she groaned in annoyance. His mind switched from the video game and the knight’s cut and slash techniques to his punches and kicks; those were much different! Luffy’s fighting style couldn’t be compared to his character’s, that wasn’t fair. “Don’t worry, Nami, I won’t lose, I’m much stronger.”

“Let me be clear. You have an important match _tomorrow_ with Enel the ‘God,’ and it’s going to be recorded live. You should be practicing at the gym going over things. Studying his weaknesses!” 

Zoro snorted. “It doesn’t work like that,” He said. “We looked over the guy’s fights but that didn’t tell us anything we didn't already know.”

“Nami,” Luffy got her attention. “Do you think I won’t win?”

Her body sagged. “Not at all, Luffy. I know you. You’re the best.” She smiled at him, obviously trying to shrug the bad mood off and show him her sincerity. “I guess I’m just worried. I know you don’t care about this, but it’s not enough to be good at fighting. If you want more matches you have to get your name out there; we need sponsors. We need money,” She leaned forward, a glint in her eye as she rubbed the pads of her fingers and thumb together to signify the sweet sweet dough they could make.

“Unfortunately,” She continued with a scowl. “Enel is super popular, even though he’s not well liked. He’s got a public presence, he’s fierce and intimidating, and he’s not lost a match in several cycles. People won’t think you’ll lose and for that reason they may not care to watch; we need to sell tickets, we need to get you out there for people to see you’re a threat!”

“Isn’t it good that they don’t know he is?” Usopp asked. “It means more people will bet against him and we’ll get the winnings.”

Nami leaned back “You need the spotlight. It’s my job to make sure you get media attention. Sitting here playing video games isn’t really doing that. So, I pulled in a few favors!”

“Oh, yeah. You pulled favors.” Zoro laughed. 

“What’s that supposed to mean moss?” Sanji snapped. It seemed like he always appeared at the right moment to defend any of the girls, particularly if it came from Zoro. Luffy had thought he was in the kitchen making lunch. The thought perked him up; maybe it was ready.

“I mean, I was there when she strong armed you into getting a reservation. It wasn’t much of an effort to get you to agree.”

“Of course I agreed! If Nami asked, I would -”

“What are you guys talking about?” Usopp interrupted.

Luffy got up from the floor, heading to the kitchen to see if Sanji had put out any lunch but his shirt tail was caught as he walked by Nami’s chair and he was brought to heel. “I’m talking about the banquet tonight for the Children’s Cancer Research. It’s an important event and the donors involved get a lot of attention. Our name can be put out and the face of our company will be seen caring about something that’s a greater cause.” Nami tugged, her hold on him dragging him back to look at her properly. “You’re going to this thing - I was only able to get one ticket for you. And I’ll give you a hard budget on what you can donate. But this is a good opportunity.”

“I guess,” Luffy replied. “What do I gotta do?”

“Just pick something to auction on, talk to people, and make friends - it’s not hard. You make friends with everyone.”

Luffy shrugged. “Okay.”

“I got your suit over there,” She pointed to the garment bag he had just noticed laying across the table and he frowned. 

“ _Ow_!” Franky cheered. “Gonna look sharp, bro!”

Nami’s grin was scary. “Luffy,” She got his sole attention with that tone and drove her threat home with a finger pointed in his face. “Don’t mess this up.”

“How am I gonna mess it up?” He huffed, petulantly upset that she thought this was so complicated that he wouldn’t be able to do it. “I just gotta buy something right?” 

“Don’t worry, my dear Nami,” Sanji comforted. “I’ll be there too, remember? I’ll make sure he won’t. He’ll be too busy eating anyway.”

 _That sounded nice_ , Luffy thought, but… “ _How_ could I mess it up?”

He was seriously wondering! They all made it sound like he couldn’t go to a damn dinner alone! Nami just waved her hand dismissively, finally letting go of his shirt. “You’d find a way.”

He wasn’t so enthusiastic to be wearing a suit but if he’d known how annoying it was going to be, he would have put up more of a fight. She wrangled him into it like she was a pro wrestler, holding him in place while she did something with his hair and even fussed over his eyebrows. Who _cared_ about his eyebrows being smoothed out - he didn’t even know you could comb eyebrow hair! 

He always kept his hair a little long; he hated the close military-cut his grandfather tried to give him once plus he had wanted to be more like Ace when he was a kid. A rebel kind of look that fit with their habits of running into the woods and roaming the area no matter if there was a ‘curfew’ or not. Although, it had gotten long enough to be in his eyes and he didn’t brush it as much as he should. Nami had to pull out a few tangles.

It looked nice after she was done. His pitch black strands were in order, softer looking than normal and she had grumbled about all his thick hair not cooperating, so he supposed it wasn’t easy. They could see his eyes better; dark brown, almost black. It made the scar under his left eye stand out but his tan skin helped with the tone, darker because of his time spent outside.

At first he didn’t know why she bothered so much if he was just going to cover it up with his hat.

Then she told him he couldn’t wear his straw-hat, which was the stupidest thing… He conceded to have it hang down his back instead of on his head to avoid messing up his hair, but that’s where he drew the line and she didn’t fight him about it. He’d gotten his hat from a very special person; he treasured it, and his friends knew and respected that.

It certainly didn’t help him now though. The straw was old and the age had made it flexible, it didn’t poke him or irritate him, but the collar of his shirt had a tag that did and in between the two he couldn’t stop reaching back to scratch at his neck.

This thing was so itchy! It looked nice but it was probably cheap, knowing Nami. It fit him well but he felt restricted, even down to his leather shoes that seemed to squeeze his toes.

He was also so bored he thought he was going to die. He'd been walking around looking at paintings for hours, mostly in between following the waiters with the hors d’oeuvres. 

Those waiters were now on the lookout for him since he would take everything off the tray in one fell swoop before anyone else could get to them. After many times of this happening, they started to recognize him and fend him off. So he kept going back to the source; sneaking into the kitchen for more until Sanji caught him and kicked him out.

"The first course will be served soon! Get out of the damn kitchen before I serve you up next!"

So he went back to the artwork hanging on the walls, trying to decide which one looked the coolest. Some kids could draw really well, even at that age you could tell they had artistic talent. Luffy had been more like the others; blobs of color that his uncoordinated hands tried to assemble into shapes. He had a very active imagination and trying to draw anything out used to be fun for him until he got tired of having to explain what his drawings were.

Sabo was good at drawing. Luffy liked looking at all the sketches he’d done, mostly of animals and scenery, he claimed that he wasn’t as great at drawing people. He tried to teach them a few tricks but Luffy hated the idea of being instructed on how to do something that was supposed to be a fun hobby. Ace got too impatient to keep up with something that required so much practice and so many bad-quality drawings to get good at it.

He found one that looked like a bunch of weird fruit; swirls, flames, a heart, others that didn’t bear any resemblance to food that he’d seen, and it was nice enough (and he was hungry enough) that he instantly put in all the money Nami had given him for it.

Then he wandered back to the assembly hall, finding the table with his name on it and slumping into it without any decorum. Dinner still hadn't been served and he was starving! 

Nobody even wanted to talk to him! In the beginning he'd tried to start a conversation with others but as soon as he mentioned his occupation they no longer seemed willing to put up with him. 

He knew they were just too snobbish to associate with him; people had a low opinion on fighting championships. It was true that a lot of corrupt orchestrating and acting went on beyond the scenes and it ruined the credibility for a lot of companies who already struggled with viewer counts. He supposed people just didn't get as fired up about real fights anymore so they resorted to a more performance-based entertainment. That and regulations cracked down on a lot, so it took some fun out of it. 

While Luffy did like the rules that barred eye-gouging, biting, and other methods, he didn't mind the weight class, fighting style, or extra dirty tricks competitor's had learned. He enjoyed learning the way people moved; did they fight primarily with their fists or legs? Did they like to grapple? Did they go for holds? When the fight dragged out and the threat of losing became too much, fighters would always try to use what feels most comfortable to them; what they were best at. And that was what _Luffy_ was best at, countering them and pulling out on top regardless of what was impossible.

It was the look on their faces when they realized how short he was - just slightly below average for a male. He wasn't packed on with muscle mass and he didn't display himself aggressively or trash-talk his opponents; they were both there for the victory, no need to insult the other he figured.

In a simple manner of speaking, he just wasn't intimidating. And he really loved proving them all wrong. 

It just sucked that his choice in career-path came with other requirements like insurance and sponsors, and why he was here: public relations. Because of course politics would find some way to claw its way into a career as simple and basic as fighting tournaments. That was why he wasn’t part of some big-named company that hosted giant competitions and had lines of contracted fighters under their name. 

It wasn’t supposed to be like that, he thought. He wanted to get to the top because he was the strongest and nobody could defeat him, but as it was the current champions wouldn’t look twice at a newcomer’s challenge. Especially without the backing of a _brand_. And that brand was all around him.

Most of the people here, he found, were politicians. They had money, fame, and were greedy with getting more of both. He set out on his own to avoid these exact types of people, refused to sign contracts, and as a result struggled when they tried to push him out of the running. He had vowed to fight even harder despite it; they weren’t going to get money from him, weren’t going to stop him from earning his place at the top. 

This was the way of it and he’d been used to all these machinations for years. But for some reason he was more bothered by it all than he normally was. It chilled him to be in the same room with these people. Maybe because this time he was playing along with the game; here for the same reasons as they were.

Luffy wondered if his contribution would even be acknowledged next to theirs and then was annoyed at himself for thinking so shallowly. Regardless of _why_ they were here, it was to help kids. He should stop thinking like they did: he donated and bought that cool fruit painting for the 5 year old boy who painted it, not for the recognition like Nami believed. 

Luffy was feeling a lot better by the time the first round of meals were served. He practically bounced in his seat excitedly and the waiter set his tray down quickly like he was afraid Luffy would get his hand if he wasn't fast enough.

Suddenly, there was a burst of loud laughter from the table to his right. It made him turn on instinct to see what was so funny and his eyes landed on a man gesturing dramatically while telling his story. Luffy couldn't hear what was being said but a few of the others were laughing along with him except for one.

This guy seemed nothing but annoyed as he scowled down at the table, frown pulling at thin lips. It was so different from the others he’d seen here that it made Luffy look twice. Was he angry at being here? Angry at the man for whatever reason? Or was he just bored?

The flash of gold at his ear caught his eye next and it reminded him of Zoro's three piercings, which he always thought was cool. Zoro was usually grumpy too but if he were here he would probably be content enough with the alcohol they were serving. There wasn't any alcohol in front of this guy so maybe that was the problem, although maybe he didn't like alcohol. Luffy didn't like it much himself.

If he was more like Robin then he should have brought a book. Robin never liked big crowds but she would stick around on the outskirts and enjoy watching the others have fun while she read. It made her feel included but not too involved. She'd always look up and smile at their antics every now and then which showed she was paying attention. 

He nodded to himself; this guy looked serious and was probably pretty smart to be here, definitely a lot more like Robin. So, it was obvious why the guy wasn't having much fun. That was a shame - what was the point of a party if you didn't enjoy it?

Maybe he was here like Luffy was? Maybe he was only here for the food.

Were those tattoos?

His mouth gaped a bit as he tried to see the inked hands more clearly; he never knew someone who had tattoos on their hands! That was really cool! He wondered if he should get tattoos like Ace, he wondered if getting tattoos on the hands hurt any worse than any other part of the body. He wanted to ask. Maybe if he wasn't having fun then he could hang out with the other guy not having fun and they can have fun together! 

He'd find out if he needed a book or alcohol and see him loosen up a bit; he looked like he was gonna stab someone with that fork in his hand. A little worrying.

There was a speech by the host. Somebody on stage was being amplified on the large projector screens to either side and by the stereo speakers all around the assembly area. Luffy was able to hear just fine but lost attention at some point. He started to think about the rest of his friends; what they would do if they were here and he grinned to himself. They were all so eclectic that whenever they were together, it was a crazy time. 

Zoro and Sanji were fairly quiet by themselves but putting them together caused damage; they fought all the time! By this point everyone knew they cared for the other and were actually fairly close, but an outsider would think they hated each other with the way they slung insults.

Nami would have liked to come and chat up all the rich business men and women; sniffing out the money (sometimes even stealing it - though she always justified it some way). She often dragged Usopp with her because of his easy nature in distracting people from her sly tricks. 

But wait, Usopp would probably be with Luffy! He'd like to see his friend confidently weave his stories and tall tales - see the snobbish people fall for it and laugh. Or Franky and he could configure a way to get the waiters to bring more food.

Brook, with any luck, could hop on stage and take over the show with his music, and Robin and Chopper would find someone just as smart as them to regal them with more knowledge.

He missed them. A bit of their chaos is exactly what this place needed. It was so boring and stuffy! Without realizing it, he was grinning, and the others who shared his table leaned away from him even as he turned to ask if they were going to eat the rest of whatever was left over on their plates.

  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Luffy shouldn't be left to his own devices.


	3. Dawn - Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Add Chaos

They all lost track of time. You’d be surprised by how fast twelve hours could go by when you work in a hospital. Most of the time it was so busy that it went by quickly and one couldn’t really clock out just because their time was up when they were responsible for the lives of others. Law had a critical patient who needed to be observed after surgery, Bepo was trying his best to catch the night crew up to speed for the transfer of patients, Shachi was bombed with last-minute lab-work requests that he needed to fill out and ready for delivery, and Penguin had run behind on the pharmaceutical orders. 

It was past seven by the time they left, choosing to take quick showers in the staff locker rooms rather than go home to get ready. Law absolutely hated public showers. The choice saved them a lot of time though, as they were already ten minutes late. Shachi ran down to the cafe to see if Senna had gone home already and whined that she had. 

Thankfully, Penguin had gotten him excited about the possibility of meeting girls at this banquet instead. “Rich, sophisticated girls,” He insisted and Shachi had been swayed.

The banquet was held at a beautiful venue right next to the local museum of modern art. Valet parking was offered at the front entrance in front of a beautiful fountain and a set of open wooden doors ten feet tall. Opulent chandeliers hung in the entryway leading to an open galley full of tables and chairs, a stage set up in the corner to the right and directions to an exhibit attraction to the left. On the other side was a wall of glass, showing a still-watered man-made pond surrounded with trees and reflecting the lights of the building like a mirror. 

Not many people had sat down so far, as it seemed like everyone preferred to tour the art first, but they found a table they were directed to and Law laid down his suit jacket along the back of his chair. 

"Hello, gentlemen!"

Law looked up from where he was folding his cuff neatly to see a man who seemed vaguely familiar. Bepo leaned over to whisper in his ear, "Senator Rabbish." And Law put on a tight lipped smile, shaking the man's hand, introducing himself.

"Oh, you must be _that_ doctor!” The man lit up and he turned around to call out to a woman conversing in a group a few feet away. He didn’t see the face Law made at being called such. “Honey, this is the new young doctor from Polar! Dr. Trafalgar, meet my wife, Annette. He is a prodigy I hear!”

The woman made some impressive cooing noise and Law nodded, cleared his throat, and tried not to be rude as he turned away. “I will be taking a look at the exhibition, have a good evening senator.”

“Oh, we will come with you, see, we sit at the same table as well!” He pointed to his and his wife’s name plates. “Might as well stick together, after all, between you and I we may be the top contributors. I am every year, I’m told, They practically beg me to come to these things now. Every year, this same ol’ banquet. But I always say - networking is half the job! I didn’t become senator on my skill alone!”

If Law thought the noise of the hospital was bad, the senator talking was ten times worse. Like nails on a chalkboard, he babbled on, charming and charismatically telling stories and jokes and gathering a crowd, and every time Law tried to back out the man would include him in the conversation. He would ask for Law’s opinions on frivolous things, like whether he liked red or white wine - then ordered a bottle of the most expensive for the table. The servers were on their heels refilling their glasses as they walked the exhibit.

He made back-handed comments about Law’s suit - “Where did you get it done? I have a tailor I go to for everything, he could tighten those shoulders and make those pants fall perfectly in line, I’ll give you his card.”

Shachi and Penguin were unhappy with this development too. They were being ignored in favor of Law, which was common enough and didn't generally upset them, but the attention it was bringing to their captain wasn't all that innocent.

Everything he said would be followed up with a comment on himself. He would pretend to be humble but then loop the conversation back to his overwhelming success. “I completely failed that college course and was convinced I would flunk out! But who would have known that my true calling was in law? Turns out I was simply bad at geology." He laughed, then; "Hey, doctor, your name is Law right? Isn't that funny, good thing it's not a sign - there wouldn’t be room for us two if you were in my field!”

They had no idea what they’d signed up for as the night progressed. It became obvious that the senator was targeting Law, but for what reason they didn’t know. There was no cause Law could think of; he’d never met this man before, never involved himself in politics and as much as his name was worth, it wouldn’t get the senator further in his career to be allied with him.

He wasn’t quite sure that’s what the man had in mind though. Sure, he was making these overtures of camaraderie, but the demeaning attitude was hard to ignore and Law didn’t think that was a common tactic to make friends. Perhaps he was testing Law in some way, but in any case Law was a hard person to shake when you didn’t know his buttons and the knowledge of this guy trying to get under his skin gave him the edge to keep from reacting. 

As for the event; it was a waste of time in his opinion. The silent auction was a good technique but Law would have just donated the money, he didn't need to buy weird watercolor paintings of what could be a ship or could be a cat. Then there was a two hour long speech given by the host as they thanked what seemed like every single person who had donated a cent or more. And the room full of rich important people he supposedly had to impress and talk to was the worst of it. Even Shachi was brought down by the stuffy place, clearly bored and not even trying to converse anymore.

When even Shachi didn't want to talk, that’s when you knew a party sucked.

After the first hour or so of walking around the exhibition, he gave a hefty sum of money to a painting Bepo had stared at in wonder longer than any others, then considered his duty done just in time to return to the dining hall tables with a coffee. He was tailed by the senator, his wife, a couple of women (who were single - senator Rabbish was sure to comment on that too) who looked at him with awe, and a few other “connections” who joined the party. 

The first course of dinner rolled out, finally, and Law was pleasantly surprised to see tomato bisque. He pushed the side of toast off his plate with his spoon like it was diseased and ravenously dug in. He really was hungry and the soup was divine! He’s never liked tomato bisque this much before - wasn’t it just a simple tomato sauce? There was definitely something special to it. 

He stopped listening to the obnoxious figures in smart suits and dresses, talking to him about business and marketing opportunities, and who did what, and if he was important enough for them to kiss his ass. For decency, his expression remained as blank as he could make it, which wasn't hard, but he'd never been the type for any of this bullshit. His grip on the spoon tightened with the restraint of being polite and before he knew it, the bowl was empty and he looked for other reasons to remove himself from socialization. 

So he took out his phone, pretended to look focused on it, apologized for taking care of urgent business, and scrolled through pictures and posts on the internet. He thought he could feel the senator's attention turning sharp, frustrated maybe in the fact that Law was not pandering to his whims like others were. He was getting louder as the evening wore on and the wine kept flowing. 

Penguin sent them a funny picture in the group chat and Shachi typed up a comment about the Senator's wife's mole.

_Law: Can we leave yet? I'm going to stab this guy with my fork._

_Bepo: Don't get us in trouble! He's super important._

_Penguin: Why cause he's in office?_

_Shachi: Yeah he got those "connections" who helped him win election. I saw it in the news._

_Law: So what?_

_Bepo: He's kind of dangerous._

_Bepo: His competition dropped out or mysteriously had accidents._

_Bepo: Don’t let him get you!_

_Shachi: Just let him talk his shit. Don't get angry cap ~*o* stay calm_

_Law: I'm calm as fuck_

Bepo snorted. He’d been lucky to be relatively ignored too and he knew it. It was a common misconception that being a nurse was an easier or lesser occupation than a doctor, so people didn’t think of them as influential. It would be more tragic considering that he was never given the chance to shine on his own, in "constant shadow" of Trafalgar Law, but Bepo just didn’t think that way. He didn’t want the attention and he was always the first to say Law deserved the prestige. 

He was proud of his work and enjoyed it immensely, but he also knew that it wasn't a career choice he would have made by himself. Ever since he'd met Law, his world view had changed. His parents died long ago and his older brother was nowhere to be found. That meant he had joined an orphanage on the cusp of being a teenager, and Law (before he was officially adopted) was the first person who had been nice to him there. 

They stuck together through everything but Bepo knew how ambitious his friend was; he wasn't going to hold him back just because he was afraid of being alone. And Law wouldn't have left him behind either. So, he did his best in school, was tutored by Law when he needed it, and followed him through life; applying to the same university, working at the same hospital, living in the same apartment for years. People had weird things to say about it considering their personalities, but they got along so well, it was just natural. 

Law nudged his friend with his elbow, sitting at their table and listening to the host go on with his speech (at least while there were announcements being made, the senator couldn’t speak). He showed his friend the confirmation of his purchase of the painting and murmured instructions for picking it up after the banquet. “You don’t want it?” Bepo asked.

“No, it’s the ugliest fucking thing-“

“Law, it was painted by a sick three year old.”

“Still ugly.”

When the announcements finally ended, the senator was the first to speak up. He talked about the paintings, his hefty donation, the travel it took to get here, every part of the discussion seemed louder than the next and Law knew it was meant to gain his attention but he was so done with it all. It amused him actually, to see how being ignored made the man so angry. Rabbish had his wine glass filled a couple times already and snapped his fingers at a waiter for another in a way that insulted Law on his behalf. 

Despite the lively conversation across the table, an undercurrent of tension was thickening. The food was truly the only thing keeping him to his seat; the next course came out and he tried to use it as a detriment to partaking in the conversation. He was doing a pretty good job of it too, because the meal in front of them was one of the best he'd had.

He couldn't find a flaw in the moist grilled salmon topped with an amazing yellow-colored sauce and steamed vegetables of broccoli, potatoes, peppers, and a mildly spiced sausage. Law was known to be picky about his food, and it was uncommon to say, but he was very satisfied with the meal given. It almost made everything worth it.

"Doctor Trafalgar and I," Rabbish said in a chipper manner, calling out over the three feet distance of the table in a way too casual way, like they were friends or something. "Also collaborated on the university's research program on genetic diseases! His professor told me about this bright young student he had, and I just had to give my donation to that cause- "

Law did not recall this. From what he remembered, his classmates and even the professors were constantly put off by his test scores and as a result they didn't like him very much. He was leagues ahead and hated because of it. Although he was active in a few extracurricular subjects, genetics one of them, he never had a particularly great relationship with his instructors. 

He was one of those smart asses who could teach the class in their stead and would double check them on their work; professors hated to be corrected by their students, Law often got sick pleasure out of it.

Students claimed he cheated or knew someone important who changed his grades; they made up all kinds of stories to defend the fact that they simply didn't put in the time or effort to study and keep up with him. Although, he couldn't blame them seeing as comparatively Law did nothing but study; a result of having no friends, no social life, no responsibilities, and an obsession to reach his goal.

He snatched a glass of champagne from a passing waiter, and said nothing about the man's extravagant lies. It wasn't Law's job to prevent naive idiots from falling for that bullshit. The other guests passed glances at him as he was mentioned but none of them met his eyes. His reputation for being an asshole preceded him, and they were not courageous enough to engage in the story with him - that suited him just fine. 

He lifted the fluted glass up to sip at the fizzy drink, the taste of champagne light on his tongue, and once again mourned his empty mug of coffee. All around his table there was another wave of laughter, and his irritation spiked once more. It sounded so fake; little polite giggles from the loud man's wife to his left, boisterous laughter from the man on the other side of Shachi - nobody laughed like that. Nothing said was that funny. 

"Isn't that right, Trafalgar?"

Law glanced back to the man spinning so many tall tales tonight, who was smiling cheekily at him. He had missed what was said, but it didn't matter, he wasn't going to play along with this charade anyway and the hours he'd had to sit and listen to this blubbering idiot slowly chipped away at his sanity. He didn't know why the man kept singling him out; his wealth, his success, his looks - maybe the man was jealous, or too drunk to know better, or he enjoyed the superiority he felt at being an influential politician and couldn't stand not being the most powerful person in the room - it didn't matter.

"I suppose a foreigner from Flevance would know more about that than anyone. It must have been why you pushed yourself to be a doctor, right?" 

It didn't matter because Law was going to beat the shit out of him. Bepo was giving little aborted movements of his hand, like he wanted to step in, knowing the disaster that was about to occur but too meek to put himself in the line of fire to stop it. Penguin straightened his spine, falling out of his slouch. He didn't wear his hat in such a formal place and his dark eyes that were usually full of nonchalance were now cold and sharp. Shachi was holding his breath, eyes wide in disbelief and shocked anger.

Not many people knew about his origins, even if it wasn't a deep guarded secret. Law didn't want it to color people's perceptions of him; it drew piteous stares and whispered assumptions as everyone filled in the blanks. Flevance was wiped off the map after a "failed quarantine" - after years of being under strict government control; a regime that had instilled harsh laws on the citizens while using extortion to mine and sell precious White Amber, a mineral Flevance had been rich with.

The media used it as fodder for years; videos of burning buildings and sick patients in their beds dying. It made history books; black and white pictures of horror to remind everyone in all generations of what happened. That there was almost a plague. That the country eradicated it and saved the world.

Evidence came to light several years ago about the so-called disease; that it had technically been a poison from the very minerals that made Flevance rich. A story that was waved off as conspiracy; the military was _praised_ \- for its effort in containing the epidemic, and the piles of bodies that didn't even get buried because they feared it would contaminate the ground was seen as necessary.

Even today the people of Flevance were known as lepers, though not many survivors are known to be called so, it's used as more of an insult. To name a diseased thing ready to die or be put down - for anyone to talk about it so carelessly was next to impossible. The senator had said it so loud on purpose, tone stressing the name of the city like it wasn't a great tragedy that Law would have been unaffected by.

Law trembled with anger, eyes locking with Rabbish and seeing the humor there, the smirk that he couldn't quite hide; the challenge for Law to _do it_. Lose control. And he was going to wipe it clean off -

It was at this time that the host of the event stepped up to the stage, the mic making noise as he removed it from the stand, "Ladies and gentlemen, thank you again for your lovely presence, this night has been everything we hoped it would be." Law grit his teeth. "We have one final treat for you, and that is to hear from a person directly impacted from your generosity tonight. Please give a warm welcome to Carrie, who will be performing her song; Up to Tomorrow!"

Law's breath was shaky, his blood hot in his veins, his hand curled into a fist. Bepo's hand on his arm was helping him remain composed but he barely heard anything from the announcement. He tried to focus on the event, knowing that he needed to distract himself from the dark and angry thoughts in his head. 

The guests at the table slowly turned to the stage, unsure of themselves now; whether the senator had said what they thought he had, if the famous doctor Trafalgar was really from the city of horrors, if he could pass anything to them...

The crowd cheered, a venue full of two or three hundred, Law would guess, and he was thankful for the live video feed projected on the screen to the right. He was sitting too far away to see details otherwise. The girl was around eight years of age now, blond hair, dark colored eyes, wearing a pretty blue and white patterned dress. His chest ached as she took the mic from the host, a smile as big as they come. She must have lost a tooth recently, as there was a gap in the bottom right, but it only made her look more real.

Lami liked dresses, he remembered, particularly long and flowing ones but with the way she would run through the fields of grass and through the puddles, the ends of it would be frayed, dirty, stained - but she still wore them. One time their mother had warned her to be careful with a new one she would be wearing to church and since she couldn't run through the puddles herself, she had Law carry her on his back and do it for her. He still remembered the way she laughed in his ear, much like the girl on stage did now.

"Thank you!" She said, clearly overwhelmed by the crowd in front of her but consumed with that child-like light that enjoyed the attention. "I have been cured of my neuroblastoma for five months," He could tell that she practiced saying that word; the vowels dragging out as she pronounced it. It was amusing to hear it from an eight year old but Law knew that this girl had been sick with the particular cancer for over a year. She'd repetitively heard the word as she went through bouts of suffering from the cancer itself to the heavy treatment it needed. Pumped with radiation and left in a secured patient room for days, seeing only her mother for set amounts of time - most of that time through lead shielding viewing windows.

He would visit her to talk, to listen as she told him what hurt, to gift her with a stuffed animal - an elephant (Lami's favorite), and make sure she knew that she wasn't alone. He was down the hall, her mother was in the next room, Shachi and Bepo and Penguin were all a nurse-call away.

Every time she cried his heart stopped. He spent so much time at the hospital that he basically lived there and the others tried to drag him away but he couldn't leave - he was terrified to. In his mind, she'd take a turn for the worse or as soon as he left the building it would go up in flames. His nightmares were full of the past blended with terrible visions of the present. Until she was cleared and had been discharged, he felt like he couldn't rest. A part of him was ashamed for being such a mess; that a little sick girl could cause such a disruption in his life, but he pushed passed it and focused on getting her healthy, so she'd never be stuck in this hospital like Lami was. And after he succeeded, he tried to forget; Carrie was obviously _not_ Lami and his behavior was not healthy.

"Since then, I have graduated third grade," She raises her hand to show the fingers. "And play with my older sister in soccer practice," The crowd was cheering again, celebrating her accomplishments since her recovery. Law stared at the screen, at the way she twisted her body lightly from left to right, unable to be still, her dress flaring out around her. "And today, I will sing this song I learned in the choir for you!"

The lights around the room dimmed, talk from all around dulled to hushed whispers before tapering off, and the beginning notes of a piano were heard from the speakers. Law's body lost some tension from the change in the atmosphere, a brief reprieve. He lifted his glass to drink, still staring at the girl on stage, enraptured by her childish grin as she took an exaggerated deep breath.

While everyone else stared at her as she began to perform, Law had to look away; his chest throbbed, and his eyes while remaining dry, itched. He monitored his inhales and exhales, following his routine same as he did this morning. This was what he was afraid of when Bepo told him about her performance; that he'd lose his grip on his emotions. He thought he could do it, but he was already so shaken up by Rabbish that -

There was something out of the corner of his eye that distracted him; movement along the floor that his eyes snapped to. A man, he realized with astonishment, was crawling along the carpet on hands and knees.

He moved quickly but clumsily as he skirted around a table and chairs, going unnoticed in the wake of the girl singing on stage. Law looked ahead to where the man was crawling to see something small rolling along the floor. 

At first he thought it was a coin or something of value and importance. Why else would a grown man be crawling along the floor in his nicely pressed suit? But as it got closer and rolled passed Law's table to the next, he realized that it was a sausage. A piece of the sausage from the meal. 

He felt his jaw go slack in surprise as the sausage spun to a stop underneath the neighboring table and he jerked his leg back and out of the way as the man on the floor chased it. From all fours, he practically leapt onto the runaway food, like it would escape his grasp if he didn't tackle it. There was a soft "Ha," that Law could barely hear over the music and he felt like he was in a whole different world as he watched this man eat a piece of sausage that had been all over the floor.

The man's black suit was nice looking, contrasting well with the red tie, but it was wrinkled from the activities and the black hair was a mess. It must have been styled at some point because it had the look of stiff gel to it, but hands must have moved it out of its place. Hanging around his neck on a string was what looked like a straw hat of all things - it clashed strikingly with the formal wear. It was old, discolored slightly at the edges with time but the straw was intact and well taken care of, finished with a dull red fabric around its circumference. 

As he rolled to the side, because the man seemed to be content on chewing his hard-won meal half-under the table on his back, Law could see a young face with a strong jawline and dark eyes. There seemed to be a scar under his left eye too, which was peculiar, but honestly, so was everything else.

Law watched as the man swallowed his food, looking up at the table above, then there was a weird look to his face that Law would label as trouble. He seemed to do a quick look around, his expression considering, and then his arm reached up, the wrist bending over the tabletop, fingers touching a plate and pulling it closer to the edge. 

There was still a piece of salmon on it left over from the guest as well as the vegetable medley. It was gone within seconds. The man stole it all, forgoing utensils and just snatching it with his fingers before gently pushing the plate back to where it was, cheeks full.

Law glanced to Bepo to see if he was paying attention, but everyone was looking up to the stage, nobody was watching this... food thief, as he stole another plate.

Did the man not get fed? Who was he? Why didn't he just ask a waiter for food if they forgot him - although obviously this man was insane enough to bypass all of that protocol anyway.

He was crawling back towards Law's table now, finished picking the leftovers from the one before. The doctor realized he was smirking as the man on the floor ducked under the table and out of his sight. From there, Law only saw a limber arm reach over the top to grab a plate from a guest Law had been forced to endure the whole evening. Due to his non-stop talking, there was plenty of food left for the thief. He snorted into his glass at the sight, and Bepo was curious enough to send him a look. 

Shachi's plate was next but it only had a few pieces of broccoli on it and once the thief saw the meager scraps, he left the plate alone and moved to the next. 

So, he must not be starving, or maybe he just hated broccoli...

Law wondered what would happen if he gave over the toast left from the first coarse. He hated bread, and even though it was typical to eat with tomato bisque, it was the only thing he hadn't finished. He compared it to a dog waiting for droppings and barely contained another laugh. Bepo looked concerned now, sending him questioning looks. After what just happened with Rabbish, seeing Law laugh must be giving him crazy thoughts.

He didn't know how to explain what was going on right now so he shook his head, but his grin grew as there was a sudden thump from the table. The woman to his left must have felt something because the next thing he knew, there was a screech that rivaled the performance's sound in its volume. 

She leaped back from her seat, tripping over herself to get away and Law realized why she must have married the annoyance of a man; because she was just as loud and dramatic. "There's something -"

Law tilted his head, leaning over in his seat to see the food thief who was looking up in surprise. His eyes were wide and his hands were up like he was innocent. "Oops," he mumbled. His voice was deeper than Law expected, finally convincing him that this was indeed a man and not a teen. "Sorry about that!"

The woman's face was turning red. "Were you looking under my skirt?"

His eyes grew larger, "No, no, I -"

"What the fuck are you doing under the table?" The senator jumped in, escalating the dramatics as he too stood up so quickly that the chair tumbled behind him and his wine glass fell to the floor, shattering and spilling everywhere.

The music was skipping, losing it's rhythm, and the girl on the stage stopped singing. Everyone turned their heads as the woman screamed an even louder "How dare you!"

The food thief moved to get up but bumped his head on the table in his haste. Law reached over to steady Bepo's glass of water before it tipped and sat his glass down while he was at it. As entertaining as this was, the eyes of everyone at the banquet turning to them set the hair on his neck on end, and he had a feeling that things were going to get worse. The tension he had from before was returning and he was feeling restless with it.

"Ow! No, listen, I just wanted your food." As he raised up from the floor Law could finally see more of the man. He was shorter than he expected, lean but compact; he filled out the suit very well. His face was rough though, while not showing much facial hair, he was sporting a bruise on his left cheek, right under the faint scar. His nose was probably broken at some point, and his grin was a mischievous sort; higher on the right than the left, showing all his teeth like it would disarm the angry guests in front of him. "Why would I want to look up your skirt anyway?"

This didn't seem to satisfy the woman. Law wondered whether she was more upset at the excuse (which was the truth but sounded so unbelievably ridiculous), or the insinuation that she had nothing of interest to show under her skirt.

Her husband stepped forward, gathering the lapels of the man's blazer in his fist to make a threatening display, "Look, you asshole, you apologize to my wife right now!"

That show of force didn't seem to bother the roguish man a bit though. He did lose his grin and his eyes sharpened, but then he reached up with his left hand to clear out his ear with his index finger. "Why?" He asked, tone uncaring.

It seemed like the entirety of the banquet hall held their breath, and Law was suddenly overcome with the need to laugh at the absurdity. He coughed, hardly hiding his chuckle; and it caused the shorter man to look over. Those dark eyes were intense but as he saw Law trying to hide obvious mirth, the man grinned back at him. His smile was bright and ridiculously happy for being in such a situation. 

"Listen, you piece of-"

"Mr. Rabbish," Law interrupted. The man was turning an interesting shade of red and his free hand was shaking, curled into a fist. "I'm sure you don't mean to make a scene here.” As funny as it was, the food thief didn’t deserve the trouble. And the more the senator spoke, the more Law wanted to hurt him.

He figured the reminder of witnesses would calm him down, but he quickly realized his mistake when the eyes lit up with glee before narrowing in an expression of dramatic anger. “I can't believe my generosity is returned with _this_ , you think you can get away with touching my wife like that? You should be taught a lesson!”

"I didn't touch her," the man argued, but Law could tell that he understood how the situation was turning.

“You think-“

“I think you’re a dick. And I don't think you want to fight me. You wouldn't win.”

The man had guts. Law wasn’t so sure he knew what he was getting into, but at the same time, he’d love to see this man get what was coming for him. If he wasn’t so wound up he’d think this was the most entertaining thing he’d seen in a long time.

That seemed to be the tipping point, and the senator raised a hand to strike, angled and open palmed, like a slap was going to end it all. And Straw-hat (as Law was going to refer to him) had moved simultaneously. His arm came up to block the incoming blow and his other hand was throwing a fist into the senator’s solar plexus before he could blink. 

It happened with such speed that even Law was shocked; not that it came to violence, but at the obvious skill he had. It was a fluid motion and his hit had so much power behind it that he almost winced in pity; but as it was he found a grin sliding onto his face instead.

Rabbish was sent back several paces, the wind knocked out of him. His wife screamed again. A security guard got to them next, breaking through the crowd of observers. Straw-hat was pulled back, arms hooked underneath his in a restraining hold. The man didn't seem to fight them, obviously having no issue with the guards doing their jobs, his smug look told everyone that he was satisfied. 

"I'm going to... bastard - " Rabbish couldn’t seem to catch breath, coughing. Law stepped between them, hand up to keep the senator back. He wasn't worried about Straw-hat, but Rabbish look feral. 

“Listen, Senator. You’ve been drinking and this is obviously not the time or place -”

"Fuck you,” He spat. “I'll ruin you too! I'll tell them how diseased you are, white amb-" He lunged for Law, hands out like he was going to strangle the doctor.

_Well, he tried._

There was an easy opening for Law to take, striking out with his fist to catch the man on the jaw. The man went down like bricks and Law felt extremely satisfied even as his knuckles burned, even when the guards got to him too. And beneath all the noise from the audience, the wife still screeching, and his own friends arguing with security, he heard the bright and loud laughter of Straw-hat.

Even after everything calmed, Law still tried to catch up with the sudden turn of events. Bepo fretted, sitting with him on a bench outside with an officer on either side of them. “I’m telling you, that guy is shady and I don’t like that you have a target on your back now, captain.” 

“Relax, Bepo.” Penguin comforted. “Our captain can hold his own. And we’ll be there to back him up.”

“I’m sorry. You’re right.” Bepo agreed, nodding determinedly. “Of course I’ll back you up. You can count on me, Law!” 

Law patted Bepo’s shoulder in thanks, giving him a smirk before bringing his attention back to their surroundings. It was annoying that there were so many police vehicles in this crowded museum entrance, all with their bright red and blue lights blinking and threatening to give him a headache. Who knew that the whole department would be called when you assault a senator?

There had been an ambulance and everything; like it was a dire injury, and it flummoxed him to think the guy was so dramatic. Bepo leaned against him, offering warmth from the chill in the air and he yawned. It must have been passed eleven now; most people leaving the venue and the last of the reports wrapping up. Law had finished giving his report to the officer half an hour ago, but wasn’t allowed to leave yet. 

"Luffy!" He heard. The voice sounded loud and angry over the commotion. A man in a chef’s uniform was running toward Straw-hat who was put into cuffs. To his knowledge, Straw-hat was going to be spending the night at the precinct. Possibly until bail; who knew what offense he would be getting. Law got off easy under defense and because his testimony and witness accounts were far more believable than a man going around under tables for the purpose of stealing food. He was fully expecting a summons later and will be talking to his lawyer, but he didn’t think Straw-hat would have that resource.

“Fucking - _Luffy_ ,” The cook looked like he’d snapped, and Law smirked at finally knowing the Straw-hat's name. "You wanted to know how you could possibly mess things up? _This_ is how you stupid freaking idiot - "

"He was being a jerk, Sanji." The man whined, sounding like a child defending himself as he was scolded. An officer was holding onto the man, firmly pushing him towards the cruiser.

"This is not what she meant by media presence!" Luffy was being pushed into the back of the vehicle, his continuous protests drowned out. The chief looked worn out, enough to take a cigarette from his slacks and light it up. "I'll call Nami," He said in a defeated tone, even if Luffy could no longer hear him. "She's gonna kill you."

Bepo took him by the sleeve, tugging slightly to get his attention. "They said we can go now." Law nodded, following a step behind his friends as they crossed by the fountain to the valet parking attendant. It was late, dark with the small sliver of moonlight and warm with the street lamps. It reminded Law of the need to sleep and he was anxious to get going, finally home-bound. However, there was a moment that he couldn't help himself from pausing and looking back; to catch a glimpse of Straw-hat again. 

The crazy man had his head against the window, leaving imprints on the glass, and his eyes found Law's across the short distance. That grin formed on his face and Law couldn't hear it, but could see his shoulders shake in a laugh. A jaunty wave from handcuffed wrists gave the whole scene a hilarious twist and Law couldn't help a short laugh of his own. Straw-hat looked like a complete loon.

And despite it all, he was impressed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not so unlike their meeting in canon!


	4. Dawn - Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just a regular day, but with bear-traps.

If there was one thing Luffy could not stand, it was going hungry. Well, anything that hurt his friends, most definitely, but going hungry... it was torture on another level!

It was because he burned too much energy, never able to sit still; everything he was good at required his physical abilities! First, he was at the gym five days a week for cardio and weight training with Zoro. He had a routine down to get in shape, focusing on every part of his body before moving on to anything specific that he may need more attention in. This typically took four to five hours; there was only so much the body can take before he risked injury or it became more detrimental than useful.

Frequently, Luffy would get bored of the same thing and liked to mix it up with sports or outdoor adventures, but he put his all into it, pushing against his limits. Once a week or more he'd spar; against people at the gym, others from competing professions, and anyone else who volunteered. They weren't on a roster and weren't official, but they helped with more than exercise. It kept him on his toes, gave him the thrill he so looked forward to, and reminded him of his goal.

Zoro was a great workout buddy, there every day to help keep him motivated, and usually way more determined in his exercise with the equipment than Luffy. He primarily used weights and practiced for his kendo classes and tournaments. Franky, Jinbei, and Usopp joined them often and the others would participate if there was a game set instead. Luffy loved when they all got together for football or volleyball.

Secondly, being a professional fighter didn't earn much money and a typical scheduled fight was only once a month unless he was signed up in a division tournament. He'd get several thousand, plus more with Nami pulling her gambling bit on the sides, but it still wasn't enough to live comfortably.

So Monday through Friday after his workouts he’d find other jobs to do, depending on the season. These jobs usually found him outside; he's coached classes, worked in construction, helped Robin with her flower shop, and even has a YouTube channel for his daring adventures at the national park reserve.

At the moment he's a part-time tour guide and ranger for the park; the position basically given to him since he's spent so much time in these woods that he was already doing the work. He’s always loved to explore and despite the extremely vast size of land that composed the wild reserve, he knows it all like the back of his hand.

He’s taken two-week hikes across the mountainous terrain to the southwest, canoed down those mountains along the river at varying rapid levels, tracked and tagged the wild endangered animals on the plains, and lastly (but his favorite), gone sailing at the mouth of the gulf to the east.

Which brought him back to his point. He’d been trailing across a rocky outcropping along the river, several miles from the reserve's headquarters and entrance, for the better part of the day. A small group of people were following him, some friends included, and it wasn't an amateur hike. His button down shirt was open, sticking to his back with sweat and his athletic shoes were soaked. Mud caked his bare calves and his worn jean shorts, but his straw hat kept the bright sun from his eyes.

It was a long trek but now that they’ve reached the clearing that marked the tenth mile, it was time to rest before going back down. He was tired, running low on energy from the exercise and heat. He was _hungry_!

He drank long and hard from his bottle of water and then reached into his pack for the snack he’d brought. Not the bars or packaged nuts, but the stick of greasy beef jerky he had been saving. This was something he’d been looking forward to all day.

He salivated as he unwrapped it, already tasting it when he was only just smelling it...

“You can’t go eating trash, Luffy.” Nami reminded him. The stick of mouth-watering beef jerky in his hand was ripped away and he almost screamed in horror, body following it. “You want to qualify for the lightweight championships, you have to gain muscle mass, no fat!”

He watched with comically wide eyes as she took a bite of the dehydrated meat instead, in return, she reached into her backpack and handed him a stick of celery. He looked down at it like it was something he’d never seen before - like it would suddenly transform back into the meat he’d been so craving.

“And if you really need the protein,” Nami said, as if she didn’t just commit the ultimate betrayal. “There’s some boiled eggs in here too.”

He thought about throwing a fit, was _this_ close to straight up tackling the beef stick out of her hand and throwing the celery as far away as he could because not even the wild animals would want to eat it. He was pretty sure celery was for vegans and rabbits, and he was neither!

But then he remembered how thin the ice was around Nami lately. She did bail him out of jail the other day, and had been rather forgiving about the whole banquet thing. Winning in the fight against Enel helped get him back in her good graces and it turns out, any publicity that got him on the radar lead to increased viewer counts. She pulled out of the ordeal with a profit and he came out of it relatively unscathed.

Besides, you know, typical injuries from the fight; his left wrist was sprung and he still had a tender spot on his jaw where an ugly yellow bruise was fading. Enel was strong and fast. It was like he was able to predict every move Luffy made, so for a while there Luffy had been in trouble.

“ _... but you know it’s mostly just instinct for him._ ”

Until he remembered Usopp saying that.

It gave him an idea; to stop thinking about the moves he made, to do what he did best and _feel_. Luffy wasn’t good at a lot of things, but he had a natural talent for fighting. While most people may have joined classes to learn moves and techniques from a master, Luffy and his brothers learned by trial. The cruel streets of Goa taught them how to survive without structured defensive or offensive moves.

To this day Luffy wouldn’t say he knew Judo, or Taekwondo, or Krav Maga, or whatever - even when he had the money and taken classes in them when he got older. Not even the teachers would say he was good at them, but pieces of these styles came together to make him an even more dangerous opponent. His body took them to memory, so when he cleared his head and let his instincts do it’s thing, not even the ‘God’ Enel could predict his moves.

The tides had turned, and Luffy come back in the last round for a swift victory. Enel, as arrogant as he was, fell hard. The reigning champion of the featherweight class fell to _Luffy_ , live on television. And he had the gold belt to prove it.

Earlier in his career, he’d gone through championships of other divisions, all separated by weight. Flyweight was his first in which he had only been 112 pounds (51kg), then it was Bantam weight of 120 (54kg). He’d beaten Arlong and Crocodile, the title holders in each, and held the belts to both since.

Enel’s defeat gave him the push he needed to be known on a bigger scale though. Nami said it was only a matter of time before he was able to move on to the Lightweight eliminations in January, so he was already preparing, and that meant that his diet was restricted. He needed to be between 130 and 135 pounds (57-53kg).

And the current champion, Rob Lucci, was not someone he should be underestimating.

But… Damn it, he wanted that beef jerky!

“Don’t I get a reward for winning against Enel?”

“You had a day to celebrate. Now it’s over. Time to prepare for the next.”

He took a deep breath, nostrils flaring. “I want meat!” He said loudly.

She looked at him with her eyebrows high as she took another bite of _his_ food. “We’re stopping at Sanji’s restaurant on the way home, he’s got a nutrition plan for you that does not involve this.” She waved the stick around, and his eyes followed it like he was being hypnotized, he jerked forward to catch it with his teeth when it got a little too close and she yanked it back with a laugh.

Luffy knew he wasn’t going to win against her - she turned away with a flare, auburn hair almost hitting him in the face in its high ponytail. She practically skipped back to a few of the other hikers Luffy had been taking along; a few men and a woman who had been entranced by her figure.

She was a beautiful woman, especially in her small shorts and a sports bra. Despite her coming along on the same trails, she didn’t have mud on her like Luffy did and her sweat only made her skin shine alluringly. Even Luffy followed her long legs as she walked away, but it wasn’t because he had any lustful thoughts; he rarely, if at all, had those.

He understood her attractiveness though. Big boobs and long legs were nice and she was scary-smart and assertive. She was the reason he’d made it as far as he did in his career and she was just as determined to see him make it to the top. She was a good friend.

Even if she stole his food.

Looking back down at the celery, he whined pitifully and took a big crunchy bite. “I’m not a rabbit,” He whispered to himself.

“Luffy, look!”

He turned to see his other friend, Chopper, waving at him from the treeline. Everyone looked to still be resting around the clearing so he discreetly threw the celery to the side and ran to kneel beside the youngest in the dirt to see what he’d found. Some kind of plant with a long stalk and dark leaves. “What’s that?”

“I think I’ve seen this plant in the botany book I’ve got! It has healing properties that are great for curing fevers!” Chopper explained excitedly. “Do you think I could take some back with me? I want to study it as part of my final thesis.”

“Sure,” Luffy grinned, not completely sure what a final thesis entailed or had to do with a plant, but he was happy just from seeing his friend so happy. He retrieved the survival knife that he always carried on these trips from his short’s pocket and leaned forward to cut the plant at the base. He pulled the stalk out of the way and paused upon seeing something unexpected on the ground beside it.

Covered by the leaves and such, the metal had been hidden, but Luffy revealed more of it to see what it was. Chopper gasped beside him. “Is that… an animal trap?”

Luffy hummed in confirmation, frown on his face. Hunting was illegal on the reserves and this trap of metal teeth was inhumane and deadly, he couldn’t leave it here and he’d have to take it to the authorities for investigation. So, he leaned in, looking for the trigger he thought these things worked on and figured he could disarm it to carry it safely.

“L-Luffy, don’t touch it,” Chopper pleaded.

“Gotta,” He replied. “No worries. I can turn it off.”

“Should I get Nami?”

Luffy trailed his fingers lightly around the rim of the trap but couldn’t find the spring. It looked like a bear trap straight out of a cartoon or horror movie and he wondered what was more dangerous; the teeth or the force in which it could clamp down on any unsuspecting poor animal. He looked at the pressure plate in the middle and took up his knife again; if he was careful, he could use the tip of it to trigger the trap with his hand out of the way.

Why he didn’t get a longer stick or a _rock_ was a good question. Why he didn’t get his phone out to search for ‘how to disable bear traps’ was also a good question. Luffy never said he was smart. His idea seemed like a good enough one. So with his right hand, he took the handle of his five-inch knife by the end and lowered it down... and it worked. He felt the resistance of the spring, pushed against it, and the moment that it gave he jerked his hand back.

He wasn’t fast enough.

But it’s not like he lost any fingers! The teeth just grazed the back of his hand. It broke skin and he was already bleeding but he looked it over and didn’t see anything overwhelmingly bad - like bone. It hurt like a bitch and he sucked air in through clenched teeth, but hey, mission accomplished!

“Luffy!” Chopper screamed. “You’re bleeding! Oh, you’re bleeding a lot! We need to get that looked at, you need a doctor!” His eyes got even wider. “We’re on a mountain! There’s no doctor for miles, what do we do?”

“I thought you were a doctor?” Luffy reminded him. Even through the throbbing of his hand he was chuckling at his friend’s dramatics. “It’s cool, Chopper. I’ll survive the hike back down.”

“Oh, right!” Chopper didn’t look soothed though. “I-I don’t have any of my medical supplies here. I can’t do anything!”

“Uh. Nami has alcohol and band-aids…”

Nami freaked out when seeing the state of his hand too. She also slapped him on the head. They cleaned his hand but the band-aids were too small to really do much so he took off his shirt to wrap it up. Maybe he should take this as a lesson and be better prepared for his hikes into the woods; keep some first aid supplies in his backpack or something - other than just food.

The trek back was easy, they were going downhill and the sun was setting. A nice breeze helped to cool him down but his hand felt like it was on fire. His shirt, a nice red button down, was dark with blood as it seeped through. Nami and Chopper kept a close eye on him, constantly asking if he felt alright or needed to take a break, but he thought that pausing would have been a bad idea.

He still had to get his charges back to the center so the tour would officially end, and even though he had been steadily bleeding, which was worrying, he didn’t feel dizzy or light headed. Just achy - like he had been.

His hand was like pins and needles, simultaneously running hot and cold, and he favored it as he walked, curling it close to his chest. The big shirt wrapped around it made it look bulky and through the two and a half hours it took to get back to civilization, it only got more annoying.

A few rangers permanently stationed at the center were informed of the situation as soon as he got back and he gave them his backpack, slinging it around with his one good hand, telling them that the trap he’d found was in there and he’d be back tomorrow to talk about it. They didn’t protest as he walked out, his friends on his heels.

There was a beat-up vehicle that used to belong to Ace before he moved, passed down to Luffy, and repaired multiple times by Franky so it actually ran. Ace had named it _Fire Fist_ after the red paint had faded to orange in some places. Luffy kept what he could of the original, thinking Ace would want it back eventually, and as a result it ran like a roaring dragster or something.

Nami hated it but she snatched his keys away and climbed into the driver's seat so he shrugged and took the passenger’s side as Chopper crawled into the back. “I’m fine, guys,” He said, but none of his arguments worked. Their concern was heartwarming though and he smiled at their kindness as Chopper fussed over the dirty wrapping and Nami mumbled insults under her breath.

The Polar Tang General Hospital was the closest to the reserve and Nami drove way too fast to be legal so they made it to the emergency department in little time. They must have made quite the scene at the check in desk, but Luffy hadn’t been paying attention as his friends filled in paperwork in his name. Nami knew all that stuff and Chopper would help fill in the blanks on what he needed to be treated for. It’s not like he could write anyway.

He had a new mission.

It didn’t involve his hand either.

While his friends were distracted, he slipped passed the waiting area. He’d been to this place before (not like _that_ was a surprise) so he knew where the vending machines were. Adjacent to the seating area and just passed the check in desk were the public toilets, and passed that was an alcove with wonderful dispensers of food just waiting for him. Such a welcomed sight.

Two machines for drinks (the sports drinks with electrolytes would be next) and four - _four_ \- machines dedicated to food. There was a beef jerky stick in one of them too!

Legit tears filled his eyes as he looked at it. His one good hand reached in the back of his pants for his wallet and he fumbled with unfolding it. Beef Jerky - worth one and a half dollars - he needed fifty cents... he tried to hold onto the leather while dexterously grabbing at the few quarters he had in there somewhere when the coins dropped to the floor.

Giving chase, he leaped forward, trying to stop their momentum. He was looking down, following the coin when he ran into something solid. He heard an _oof_ as he practically tackled the person and he frantically reached out to keep whoever it was from tumbling to the ground.

“Sorry, sorry!” He chanted. He arm that he was holding to steady the person jerked out of his grip and the reaction was so quick that it caught his attention as strange. He didn’t think he hurt the person, and he didn’t mean to scare them.

“Do you just crawl around the floor as a hobby or…?”

The voice didn’t sound angry either, but it was a dry sarcastic tone and it sounded familiar. He looked up into a pair of unique gold eyes and immediately recognized the face. The guy from the banquet!

A grin lit up his face, because just the memory of that night was enough to make him laugh. He’d been so bored that entire time and he remembered thinking this guy was too; his grumpy face hadn’t relaxed for anything, Luffy had watched!

That was, until the altercation with that asshole! Luffy had jokingly thought that chaos would have made the party so much better, but he hadn’t meant to cause any. Not that he was wrong - that fight was the best thing _about_ that party. And it turns out, this guy had thought so too, or so that smile, and chuckle, had led him to believe.

The guy reminded him of Zoro and Robin, but at that moment, Luffy wondered if they had more in common with each other…

* * *

The hospital was always loud and hectic, filled with staff who needed his direction every moment and patients demanding his attention for every little thing that could be taken care of by the nurses. He was pulled in so many directions and there was never a shortage of work to do, which made the time move fast, but meant that he was exhausted by the end of the day. Coupled with the fact that he was one of three doctors in the trauma department right now meant that he was put under even more weight. They'd had two accidents involving three people - one of which had a significant head injury, another patient came in with an appendix burst, and there was a child with a broken arm screaming in the treatment room in the back.

Law had done the best he could with the head injury and succeeded in stabilizing them, but a transfer team was coming to take them to a specialist. The appendicitis operation was a critical case and Law spent hours juggling around intestines to clear them all of infection, but he's done a few of these procedures and didn't find it difficult.

The child though...

He tapped Penguin's shoulder with his handheld pad. "Has he been given anything?"

"Yep. Administered it twenty minutes ago. That kid isn't feeling it, he's just reacting to the sight. It also doesn't help that the mother is in hysterics like he's going to die."

Law sighed, wincing as he heard another shriek all the way down the hall in the closed off treatment room. He looked at the images of the bone’s break on Penguin’s screen. The station had several computers and chairs that Penguin and Shachi had taken for charting and dictation and the redhead rolled over in his chair to see the x-ray results that he had taken. It was a simple fracture and they weren’t so concerned about it, it just needed a cast.

"You want plaster or synthetic?"

"Synthetic. He's going to get it wet. Maybe choosing the color will get him to cheer up."

Shachi grinned. "Hell yeah, and I got some markers for it too."

They waited for him to get the supplies, a lull in the work giving them a moment of reprieve. “By the way,” Penguin started with a grin. “You know that guy from the banquet?”

Law raised his eyebrow.

“He was on television.”

“For that stunt he pulled?”

“Sorta, that was mentioned,” Penguin laughed. He took out his personal phone to bring up a thread that he’d saved. It had a heading in bold that talked about the scandal of a boxing champion.

“Undefeated title-holder with 34 wins - 18 by KO adds another report of assault to his record”

Published: Oct 1, 2018 | G-News

“ _Another_ report of assault,” Law repeated with a smirk. “Why am I not surprised.”

“The guy’s getting pretty famous though, apparently he’s good.”

“That I have no doubt.”

Bepo came around the corner looking stressed. “Captain, you’re really not going to like this…”

He preemptively sighed, “Probably not.”

“I'm sorry." He looked down to his feet like it was his fault. "Cora is in room five with a cut on the leg.”

“How bad?”

“Thankfully not too bad - it’s on his shin, about three inches long. I think he said it was from his… chair?”

That wasn’t the worst thing Law had expected honestly. Cora, his adopted father, was notorious for being clumsy enough to land himself in the hospital often. Enough that everyone, even those not on Law’s crew, knew him by name.

He handed over the clipboard. “I’ll go check it out.”

The exam rooms in the back were for patients who didn’t need monitoring; it’s where those with the flu or minor injuries went to be seen. The rest of the treatment areas were, as expected in an emergency department, for higher acuity level.

The Polar Tang Hospital has been through several renovations in order to keep up with the times and as it is so popular, aesthetically look more hospitable. The inpatient rooms upstairs looked like luxurious hotel rooms with their cherry wood casework and satin nickel detailing. Research has shown that these things matter - when a patient feels warm and comforted they tended to feel better about their experience and heal faster. It made sense to him. That’s why it was a requirement to have a window in every room, preferably with a view to the gardens, and the look of the pediatric wing included an abundance of interactive art and colors.

But even though they had tried to look warm and friendly in the ICU, it wasn’t always compatible with the necessity of the room’s function. Cherry wood didn’t stand up to the harsh chemicals they used to clean the blood off. Every room was in line of sight for nurses, and even if that wasn’t enough, they had remote monitoring via video feed in case anyone coded so that help could be notified immediately. Large glass doors with breakaway hardware for critical interventions looked nice but felt industrial and sterile. The equipment cluttered the room, mysterious in nature for most and truthfully not used often, but when they were needed it was important that they were there. So they loomed around the patient’s bed like alien machinery. Headwalls above stretchers where filled with medgasses and tubes and it always smelled of antiseptic.

It was home for Law and he felt so comfortable in it that nothing of the sort ever bothered him. He preferred it to the fancy inpatient rooms actually, because this was the point of it all, where everything started. The rest was just a product of consumerism.

However, when it came to Cora, he hated the view it gave. The man who had treated him like a son even though he had no prior experience sitting on the stretcher surrounded by machines that he hoped would never have to be used on him. Again…

“We should just reserve this room for you,” Law forced himself to joke about it as he pushed the privacy curtain aside; it was useless, barely concealing anything past the first fourth of the doorway and was only used for those who needed dressing if they could do so on their own.

Cora looked up, grinning reflexively at Law like they were meeting for lunch or something. Like he wasn’t propping his foot up on a foam pad; gauze wrapped around carelessly and soaked through with blood. “Law! I missed you!”

He put on a glare, ignoring how his heart warmed at the easy way the man said that. “Stop hurting yourself,” He demanded, like he did it on purpose. He gathered some tools and started cutting away gauze, slicing through the pant leg too.

“But it’s the only time I see you anymore!”

“And whose fault is that?!” Cora was one of the few that could work him up so easily. The aggressive way he snapped and growled had become normal for him when dealing with the man; something that stuck with him from when he was a teenager. Cora did something similar, dramatically teasing and generally treating Law like a child sometimes. They both knew things had changed. Law wasn’t the angry boy anymore that hated everything, even Cora, and Cora knew that Law had grown up and didn’t need to be fussed over, more than capable of handling himself.

This interaction between them was normal, even if nobody else understood it.

“Don’t be such a brat, it’s not cute!”

“Shut up,” He was finally able to see the laceration and tested the depth and damage of the injury. It was going to need sutures, but it was otherwise clean looking. He started to clean the wound and prepare his thread and needle. “What did you do?”

“I tripped over the coffee table.”

“The one that’s been there for months?”

“Yep!”

“Did it still have the nail sticking out of it?”

“Yeah.”

“Cora…” It hadn’t been too long ago that he’d had a tetanus shot.

“I’ll fix it, promise!”

“No, don’t try to fix it! Do you want to end up right back here?”

“Fine, I will get Kuzan to fix it, ok?”

“Whatever.”

Cora remained silent for a bit as Law started to numb the area to begin treatment and while it wasn’t strange for the man to be quiet, there was something about him that put Law on edge. “Hey,” The man said slowly, like he was testing it. “Do you… Still hate him?”

If Law wasn’t trying to be still and focused on sewing the skin back together he may have shown more of a reaction to that, Cora was looking intently at him to see if he would too. Law’s mouth tensed but he didn’t scowl and Cora seemed to not know whether to be relieved or not.

Law looked at his gloved hands, thought about it, but he already knew his answer, even if it was not completely true. He fought back a sigh, readying himself. “No.”

“Even if he’s in the military?”

It was a very tense topic between the two. His opinion of the military was not a good one, though he kept it quiet in a country as patriotic as this one. While he was an immigrant, it wasn’t obvious; he spoke the language well, without much of an accent, and he was accustomed to the culture through the decade or so he’d been here. But he’d never forget where he was from; could never forget the day that soldiers had come to destroy everything and kill everyone… needless to say, Law didn’t hold much respect for people who killed innocents and got away with it under the name of justice.

However, Cora (short for Corazon, which still wasn’t even his real name) had been part of the military as well, though he’d since been medically discharged. It’s how they met; he had seen this orphaned, war-torn child full of hatred and taken him in, assumed responsibility for him, even though Law had given him so much trouble. In the end, Law would never call Cora 'dad’ and Cora would never claim that he was, but Law was just as much his son. It was thanks to him that Law was here; alive in this country and fulfilling his purpose, and he’d never forget that.

Cora was special; to have held him and given him love even when his olive skin was patchy with white, to have forgiven him and cried over him even after Law had been so mean to him.

Cora, with his blonde hair, brown eyes, huge frame that stumbled around like a gangly teenager still, and that stupid wide grin that lit up the room as he happily confessed that he loved Law so much… Law wanted him to be happy more than anything. He wanted to be able to give him back something even if nothing could repay him for all that he’d done.

So when Cora had met someone that made him blush and act like even more of a fool, Law figured he’d be able to handle it; the man deserved happiness and so long as whoever he ended up with loved and cherished him back, Law would support it.

It was just… Kuzan was a symbol of everything he had hated.

Honestly, it wasn’t even the man’s personally; Law liked his cool attitude that came off as standoff-ish. He was smart, kind enough to Cora and Law, respectful. He had a sense of humor Law could have appreciated, and in another world they may have gotten along rather well. But with Kuzan came the talk of work; deployment and war, political beliefs and orders that perpetuated the circle of violence and injustice, and his co-workers that visited sometimes. Kizaru and Akainu - Law couldn’t stand them; while Cora’s boyfriend hadn’t actively antagonized Law, the other two did. And he knew that if he’d met them when he was still young and full of hatred, he’d have done something stupid and dangerous to get rid of them.

This was one of the few things he and Cora had ever really argued about. His dislike of Kuzan hurt Cora and Law knew he felt pulled in two different directions. He didn’t mean to. But the more stubborn Law was about it, the more Cora forced them together, convinced that they’d get along if they only tried.

There were really awkward dinners with the three of them, surprise visits where one didn’t expect the other, and so on. As much as Law hated it, he saw how much Cora wanted this to work. He never hid his feelings, and Law saw how much his father figure had fallen in love…

It wasn’t fair, he’d thought. “You were in the military too. Besides, he makes you happy.”

Cora’s large hand settled on Law’s shoulder lightly. “It’s just, sometimes I think you’re still mad at me.”

For the first time Law looked up to meet his eyes, a soft brown that held so much compassion. “I was never mad at you.”

Those eyes could turn sharp and angry in an instant, however, and Cora was obviously not happy with his answer. “You sold your house…”

Ah.

That’s what this was about.

While Law had recently moved into his townhouse by the lake, the large house he’d had on the outskirts of the city was sold off. It was the first house they got when moving here; Law was starting med-school and Cora working a new desk job at the base. Law was determined to pay for a part of it himself, not wanting to be a burden on Cora’s tight finances. As a result, Cora went the extra step and put it in his name. He’d told Law that it was his home now too and for a boy who had lost all meaning of that word, the gesture meant a lot.

Several years were spent in that two bedroom, two bath house with the noisy pipes and stupid green kitchen they never repainted - until Cora tentatively broached the subject of moving in with Kuzan a year into their relationship.

What was he supposed to do, say no? Law was grown, way passed the point that he could have set out on his own and Cora certainly didn't need his permission to live with his boyfriend.

It was a long time coming and Law wasn’t surprised. When the time came he even helped him with his things, he ignored how it hurt to settle his father figure into a new place he'd call home. And that home was no longer the same as Law’s home.

It was a very weird reverse “leaving the nest” syndrome. They never had that moment where Law left for college and the parent stayed behind, watching their child grow on their own. Those roles were switched. Law was the one standing in the driveway, waving as Cora drove off with the last of his things, ready to start a new chapter of his life.

It wasn't like he was gone forever! Cora visited all the time, texted him nonstop, and generally was just as involved as he ever was. But the house had felt too big and empty and Law kept coming home expecting to see Cora trying to cook something disastrous in the kitchen.

Law could still remember Cora teaching him how to shave in the bathroom, walked by the burn mark on the carpet from Cora’s cigarette fire, and Law accidentally made meals for two every time he cooked.

Several months of that and he started looking for a place elsewhere. “I meant to tell you about it,” He said, a little hesitant. He realized how it must have looked and he wondered how Cora found out about it at all. “I wanted to be closer to work.”

“Law,” Cora looked pained. “Are you ok? You don’t look like you’ve slept well. Did - did me moving out…”

“It was nothing you did, Cora.” His voice was firm; he wanted to stop this before the man began to cry, Law already felt like shit. “There were a lot of reasons to sell that house, and I really think you’ll like this new place.” He tried to distract him with the positives: “You can come by whenever you want to see it. I’ll show you the dog park by the lake too so you can stare at other people’s dogs like a creep.”

He watched as Cora processed that, hoping he’d laugh or smile at the attempt at humor even if it was a stupid joke, but he didn’t think it worked. “Do you like it?”

A small smile crossed Law’s face, a barely upturned lip. “I do. I’m still adjusting, so no, I haven’t been sleeping very well. But I will, and it’ll be fine.”

“Ok.” Cora slowly agreed. “You better have a place for your old man to sleep.”

“I got a new sleeper-sofa.” He said. Finally, Cora was relaxing and starting to act more like his happy self, grinning at him with that stupid face. Law finished with his leg-wound and stood to clear away the mess of sterile packaging and supplies. “Come visit this weekend. I have Sunday and Monday off.”

“You better have it ready, then!”

For the first time in a while, Law gifted him with a smile. The man always tried to make him laugh and he was stubbornly immune to his silly antics when he was younger so every such expression was a victory for Cora. Nowadays that smile was more of a smirk, or a telling of something to come. He opened the door, with a flare, still looking back at the man. “It’s got stairs though, so you’re not allowed up there unsupervised. Wouldn’t want any falls.”

“Rude.” Cora replied. Law lifted his hand to give a middle finger salute, backing out of the doorway. “Rude!” He repeated. “Not cute!”

Law twisted in the hallway, chuckling at the reaction he got.

He went to the front counter to talk to admissions; he’d sign the paperwork to discharge Cora and get him sent on his way. It was a simple process since the nurse already had them prepared for him. He was thankful, but it also saddened him to know that everyone was so used to Cora’s accidents that they had things down to routine just for him.

He sighed, tired enough already and he still had several hours of his shift to go. There was a soreness in his neck that he was trying to rub away and he decided to take a break for a snack and a cup of coffee to recharge for a bit. He took the phone from his coat pocket to notify his staff and walked to the vending machine area nearby. It was an alcove right off the corridor and he took a turn around the corner just in time to collide with someone who had been bent over.

The height of the man’s shoulder hit his chest and he huffed at the surprise blow. For a moment, he’d worried about the obvious patient he had almost ran over but if anything, the patient was the one that knocked him back; solid in stature with a strong grip on Law’s arm to steady him.

Before he could even think about it he was jerking back from the touch. It made sense and he was thankful for the man’s assistance, it was just a touch, but he was unused to it. He looked up to apologize but found his words frozen in his throat when met with familiar dark eyes.

Apparently they recognized him back, as they widened with surprise. Straw-hat... he was still wearing it, Law noticed. It was placed on his head now, covering messy black hair and shading a tan face that lit up in a characteristic grin.

He was… an absolute mess.

Dirty, sweaty, ripped shorts, no shirt, mud all over, and what skin he did see was covered in bruises. He didn’t smell very great and of course, there was a bloody _cloth_ wrapped around his hand. Guess that explained where his shirt went...

"Oh! You're that guy!”

“Trafalgar,” he introduced himself. Unthinkingly, he bent down to help gather the man’s wallet and money from the ground.

“What?”

“My name. Doctor Trafalgar Law." He subtly looked around the hall for anyone, a nurse or member of staff or family member that led him here but saw nobody. Then he looked the man over critically, assessing the injury; it was wrapped poorly and splotched with blood.

"That must have been rough as a kid."

Law rolled his eyes. "Not really."

"I can't even say that."

"It's not that hard to pronounce."

"My name's Monkey D. Luffy!"

"... You are making fun of my name when you have monkey in yours?"

Luffy laughed - it was loud, kind of obnoxious - but it was genuine and Law found himself not annoyed with it even though it drew attention. "It fits really well though I think! Do you fit Taffer- Trao- … Tra-guy-"

"Shut up." He snapped. But that grin didn't go away and Law found himself smirking. "You're here for stitches, right?"

"Yeah, probably. It's still bleeding." He reached over to unwrap the cloth as if to look and the release of pressure was met with a gush of red dripping down his wrist. He hurriedly tried to wipe it back up but a couple drops fell to the corridor floor. Murmuring an apology, Luffy held his hand up higher above his head.

Law scoffed, stepping around the shorter man to the towel dispenser on the wall by a hand-washing sink. It was close enough to the nurse's station to get a nurse's attention. "Clean this up. Number 5 is open, right?"

"Yes, doctor."

"I'll take that one then." He dropped a few towels on the ground to soak up the blood but left the nurse to deal with the rest, turning back to the exam rooms with Straw-hat following him. He shut the large door behind them, gesturing to the exam table as a way of getting the man to sit down on it, and began gathering the necessary medical supplies. "Allergic to anything?"

"No."

There was a routine he had in place, laying the supplies out in a line next to Luffy on the table in order. His hands were firm but gentle when taking the man's wrist and he worked swiftly and confidently to disinfect the wound. The laceration was between the first and second knuckle, curving around the middle to the back of the hand. It didn't look deep enough to have cut through tendons but there wasn't a lot of meat to cushion a blow like this.

"Make a fist," He ordered, and studied the tautness of the skin. He prodded at the edges of the opening, concluding that the jaggedness of the cut was the worst of the problem. There were callouses on the man's knuckles, but his palm was smooth. He shifted to ready the needle and thread and out of curiosity, asked, "Who or what did you punch this time?"

The man laughed like that was the funniest thing and Law had to snap at him again to be still. He had just numbed the area but Straw-hat was acting like there wasn’t a curved needle and string connecting his flesh so delicately.

“I was caught in a bear-trap!”

Law gave him a short glance to show how unimpressed he was and Luffy grinned back. That… was the most absurd thing Law had heard. Where were there any bear traps? Who used those anymore - he thought they were only in old movies! Why would anyone get caught in one?

“I was hiking up the mountain and found one where it shouldn’t be so I had to set it off to get rid of it. I was stupid about it though…” His shoulders raised like he was embarrassed.

 _This ridiculous story was true_ , Law thought. Because he was beginning to understand that Straw-hat just lived in his own unique little world of crazy where stealing food from underneath tables and getting caught in bear traps were a thing.

"But hey, I didn't know you were a doctor, that's cool! My friend Chopper wants to be a doctor."

Suturing the wound with fast and efficient movements, Law hummed, wanting to keep Luffy talking since it seemed he got restless in silence. He needed to keep the hand still so he could work on it better. "How is he in that endeavor?"

"End-ever?" He mumbled. Law wondered if he was going to make a joke about his vocabulary; people had teased him about it before, but he'd learned English through books, so he tended to speak like them. "Oh! Um. He's taking these tests to be a real doctor - though he technically already is one? - and he's worried about them, but he's super smart so I know he'll pass. You must be smart too, huh?"

Law glanced up again, thinking that it was a sarcastic comment, glaring a bit before realizing that Luffy was not joking, and it made him feel a mixture of amused and flattered. The question was a rhetorical one, but Luffy nodded like Law had affirmed his belief. "Doctors are all smart and nice. They have to be," He watched as Law focused back to his hand; snipped the ends of the thread, leaving three simple stitches, nice and even. "Except you." Luffy went on. "You don't seem all that nice."

The statement was so honest that Law was surprised enough to burst with a short laugh. "Do you have any filter at all to what you say?"

"Ah, not really. Sorry, I meant that in a good way!"

"How could that be interpreted in a good way?" He began to wrap the wound in a thin layer of gauze; it was unnecessary for most, but he figured Luffy would need the extra protection to keep it clean. Who knows, the crazy man could be jumping into more mud puddles and swimming in dirty ponds.

"I think it's good." Luffy said. "Cause if you were super nice, you wouldn't have punched that guy like you did."

"Usually, people prefer it if you don't go around punching people."

"Well, I like it, you hit him really hard so you're strong too!"

It was not a compliment Law had ever heard before; it's not like strength was his best attribute. He ran almost every day, could do a few pull-ups - he used to practice swordsmanship and took a few martial arts classes with Bepo, but it was mainly a consequence of his situation. He spent too much time being sick as a child that he was vigilant about his health and Corazon had wanted him to have more structure in his life that didn't involve isolating himself to study.

The rest could be boiled down to attitude left over from his adolescence; he was a punk - angry at the world, causing trouble for everyone (because they weren't his parents, they couldn't tell him no), rude to everyone because being polite was fake and he never wanted to do something just because it was a social norm...

Nobody had ever told him that his rudeness was a good quality to have, and he had to laugh at the fact that he was hearing it from Straw-hat - of course a nutcase like him would like that sort of thing. Despite the ridiculousness, he couldn't keep the small smile off his face, the tilt of his lips that betrayed how he felt. "I'll be sure to continue punching assholes who deserve it then. And then patch them up after."

Luffy laughed again, the quiet snickering that sounded mischievous. "I like you, Traffy. We should be friends!"

Those words put a bit of a damper on Law's amusement and his smile was wiped away like it was never there. It was extremely forward of Luffy to say such a thing, and it came across as a spontaneous thought, like it was such a simple demand - be friends. Like Law should have more than the three people he trusted enough to be close to. He wondered what value Luffy put on the word that he could instantly be friends with a stranger because they were _cool_.

"You're done. The nurse will come in to discharge you." His voice was a lot less friendly now, but Luffy just chirped an ‘Okay!’ like he wasn't suddenly grinding the words through clenched teeth.

He swept the plastic packaging into the trash, disposed of the sharps, and washed his hands, all without looking at the other on the exam table. He felt the man's eyes on him though, and being the focus of attention made his hair stand on end. Law grabbed his computer pad and jerked open the exam room door but before he could storm out and get his mind back on track, Straw-hat called out to him.

"Thanks Traffy! I'll see you later!"

The door was already shutting on his words, and Law felt it would be weirder to push it back open to get the last word - that no, they wouldn't be seeing each other later and fuck you -

"Doctor," Someone called from down the corridor, and he forced himself to stop thinking about the Straw-hat and his delusions so that he could get back to work.

It was such a simple thing to get worked up about, he knew, and maybe it was because he's so removed from normal social interaction that the idea of new friends coming into his life only bothered him. He only needed the three - they gave him enough trouble. They already bugged him enough to hang out, already caused drama that he was dragged into, already teased him about his idiosyncrasies... They already knew about his issues, spent years around his ever changing moods as he tried to be less angry, less scared, less obsessive. They already tried and somewhat failed at helping him sleep, heal, trust.

He didn't need anyone else getting that close.

He normally wouldn't get so distracted by simple conversation, but he felt drained after that interaction. There was no keeping up with Luffy and he should know by now to let some things roll off his back like water; or he'd start overthinking things and work himself up even more.

However, as he began to walk and follow the voice in need, he couldn't help but believe that not taking Straw-hat's words seriously would be a mistake.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Luffy is getting easier to write for me as I adjust to his modern insanity. I enjoy it actually, he's something else. Law is certainly going to get closer to the madness too. There are elements I want to keep from canon of course, so even if things are out of order a bit, I hope you can see the similarities in their first meeting and more in the chapters to come. Thanks for sticking around!


	5. Dawn - Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> For such a smart guy, Law looked pretty stumped at the concept of free coffee.

Law began to see Luffy everywhere. Little glimpses when Law took a lunch break and ran across the street to a diner, or went shopping at the grocery store, or when Shachi dragged him to the ice cream shop. 

He was starting to wonder if these occurrences were really coincidences but then he found out that the chef of the restaurant Bepo loved so much was a good friend of the Straw-hat’s. And so were most people, he realized.

Goa wasn’t a small city, and they weren't far from downtown, where the city was dense with it's one million people. So it was shocking to see so many knew exactly who Monkey D. Luffy was. 

Penguin had said he was famous but he hadn’t fully believed that after seeing one headline from a news report. However, he got curious enough to look up the name. The first thing that popped up was his YouTube channel; a permanent record of his reckless behavior.

He claimed that he could hardly swim in a video before taking a canoe down a dangerous rapid. He climbed a construction crane without equipment to what must have been twenty stories or higher and the guy had been _skydiving_.

Law’s blood pressure increased with just watching it all, but through the stupid stunts and proof of Straw-hat’s insanity, he was caught in just how free the man looked. No matter what he did, he obviously didn’t do it for someone else. Only a few of many looked like challenges from others, which meant he did these things not for the viewers, but because he _wanted_ to. It was like the camera just happened to be there to film it.

“ _I’ve always wanted to go bungee jumping so I’ve been waiting for this! My friend Usopp is holding the camera for me. He says he's allergic to bungee jumping, so he can’t join me._ ”

“ _Yes_ ,” a voice off screen replied. “ _Very serious ‘I-can’t-jump-off-bridges disease._ ”

Law clicked on another and saw Luffy, straw-hat still on his head but a stanton's cowboy hat on top of it.

“ _Hey, so there’s a fair going on and this guy has a huuuuge bull that he said I could ride. Maybe I can beat the cowboy's record!_ ”

He saw Luffy last three seconds before the massive animal threw him off. And still he came up to the camera after, bleeding from his nose and holding his side where he impacted the ground, but grin wide on his face. “ _That was awesome! Did you see that? I wanna go again!_ ”

In the credits, it seemed like Luffy didn’t even manage the videos or account; all the editing was done by “God - aka Usopp.”

Multiple videos of this sort spanned over a few years, interspersed by random footage of mundane things and clippings of his professional matches. Law watched a few of those too, curious about the sport and he had to admit that seeing these fighters move had a certain art to it. 

Luffy made it look easy; he was fast and he hit accurately, taking any chance he could to throw jabs in, even if they weren’t at full strength. It seemed like a few opponents tried to take Straw-hat to the floor, a strategic move that removed his advantage in sheer speed, but they quickly found that his body was able to twist and move out of grapples almost unnaturally.

Above all, he had stamina; he was constantly moving, blocking, dodging, jumping, and he was almost always on the offense. It was… pretty incredible.

And such a violent sport. The injuries made more sense now; even with gloves and mouth-guards there were nasty casualties - not just bruises. Luffy had looked pretty beat up after some of them, bleeding, limping, running on the last dredges of his energy. 

At first, it was hard to differentiate the Straw-hat that was always laughing and joking, with the dangerous figure on screen. That grin that spoke of mischievousness was instead sharp and threatening and those silly movements that looked so gangly and uncoordinated shifted into a fierce whirlwind of violence.

Like a switch, one moment he was a terrifying fighter, and the next he was an annoying little sunflower of happiness. After each victory, he would throw his hands up, laughing and grinning awkwardly around the mouth piece before he’d spit it out. He looked confident and smug, like his win was the only outcome possible and he’d proven himself to the world.

It was difficult to get that image out of his head and if he wasn't so introspective enough to pick up on it, he'd wonder why he found Straw-hat so interesting. It was because he was genuine. Law hated liars. He hated being polite and he hated doing something just because it was expected of him. He didn't care if people disliked him; if they didn't want his honest opinion, then they shouldn't ask him for it.

Yet, even he wasn't so courageous as to do like Straw-hat does. Luffy took it to another level, and he seemed so free. People liked him because he did what nobody else could do and stood up against what he hated and went for what he wanted. Law had attributed it to insanity, but really, Luffy was kind of inspirational.

Still bat-shit crazy though.

Law had seen him as he was jogging at the lake again. He didn't know if Luffy actually lived nearby but there he was, on one of the piers, fishing pole out. All the fish had probably been scared away though because Straw-hat was loudly arguing with someone about how they'd cook the fish they caught.

He was standing with one foot on a post and one arm in the air in this stupid pose screaming about how they'd be grilling the fish, not having sushi because cooked meat tasted better and he could eat it without a lot of rice.

Law watched someone shove him off the pier and he snorted.

"Ah! He can't swim! Someone get Zoro!"

Flailing in the water calmed once Luffy's savior jumped in and reached him. Law couldn't swim very well himself so he understood the struggle but he also didn't put himself in situations where that lack of ability mattered. When he was fished out and brought to shore, Luffy looked like a drowned rat, still whining loudly.

Law shook his head, moving to continue his run when a loud “Torao!” met his ears.

He was beginning to think that that referred to him. It was the third time Straw-hat had called out to him. When it happened at the grocery store, Law had ignored him, at the restaurant Law had taken his fork and threatened to stab him with it (and thankfully Luffy didn’t have the time to stay and chat or Law and Bepo would have had another guest at their table). Then there was the ice cream fiasco…

It ended with Law smashing the ice cream cone he had on Luffy’s head. 

In his defense, Straw-hat had it coming. Shachi and Penguin welcomed the newcomer with ease, always social enough to make friends and when Luffy just inserted himself into their group of four, the two behaved like he’d always been there. Even Bepo was warming up to him, since Luffy had gushed and said that he was so very cool. Law had leaned back in his seat and tried to keep anything resembling a pout off his face.

“Today is Law’s birthday!”

His eyes had gone wide and before he could admonish Bepo for revealing such a thing, Luffy was cheering excitedly. “Are you gonna party?”

“No.”

“What, why not?”

“Because…”

“Wanna come to Sanji’s restaurant and eat cake?”

“No!”

“Come on, I want cake!”

… The rest goes without saying. Luffy had begged and went so far as to tug on him and Law had snapped. Not his fault.

“Torao! Hey!” His feet picked up the pace. Wet slaps of flip-flops hitting pavement gave him plenty of warning that he was being followed and after that butchering of his name was called again he turned around sharply to glare. 

“That’s not my name!”

Luffy grinned and came to a stop right in front of him, still soaking wet and shivering because it was _October_ and the water had to be freezing, and shook himself like a damn dog, bangs whipping around and slinging water everywhere. Then he placed his hat back on his head and bounced in place.

He was way too much.

“What are you doing?” Luffy asked innocently. Law wasn’t fooled.

“None of your busi-”

“Hey, do you live around here?”

“No!”

“You do!”

“If you knew then why did you ask?”

“I didn’t know. But now you just confirmed it…” Luffy’s grin was not innocent at all!

“You are such an asshole.” Law growled.

“Says the other asshole who wasted an ice cream cone on me.”

Law took a step back and Luffy took a step forward. “Is that all you think about? Food?”

“Most of the time!” He didn’t even sound ashamed of that. 

“So you’re mad I wasted food, not at the fact that I shoved an ice cream onto your head?”

“It was mint chocolate chip. And I’m sorry. I should have listened when you said you didn’t want to go get cake. Even though I think you’re crazy.”

“ _I’m crazy_?”

“Yeah.” If only Law had another ice cream cone in his hand… “I have to go back and get our fish. We’re gonna grill what we caught. You want some? You’ll have to catch your own, I don’t share.”

“No.”

Maybe Luffy did learn something, because this time he didn’t push. “Ok, Torao!” With a grin and a wave, Luffy turned around to go back to his friends. “I’ll talk to you later!”

Law didn’t know what to do anymore.

* * *

While Luffy couldn’t sit still or have patience enough to ever like reading books himself, he loved stories. Usopp was a great storyteller and would come up with daring adventures full of heroic rescues and epic battles. They did a lot of tabletop games that incorporated their own characters and put together teams for quests; Luffy liked those because Usopp always thought up of the best storylines.

Robin was good at storytelling too. Her’s were mostly historical tales, and the fact that those things actually happened was amazing. Her flower shop was right next to the library where she spent a lot of her time. She liked history and spent some time as an archaeologist before settling in Goa, but that passion never died. So she became a curator for the library and with all those books, there was never a shortage of stories that she could read to Luffy.

There was also a monthly event at the library that featured historic themes and tales; often, Robin would supply relics and props to make it more interesting or entertaining to the audience (kids aged 3-10 on average). This month was about an ancient civilization of some kind, and a box from her archaeologist friends in the north was being unpacked for display. Luffy had come to help, excited about the story to come - he'd probably be right there in the middle of the kids, listening to Robin's story with just as much childish excitement.

“Woah, what is this?” He pulled out a piece of dark rusty metal. It looked ancient but distinctly shaped as a mask, with a nose piece layered in black iron with gold detail that was faded away. Around the eyes and down the sides of what would be the face was more metal, trimmed in gold and on the sides were ivory bones of horns curved down and pointing out like a wicked dragon’s. 

Luffy quickly turned it around to put it on, feeling the weight of it and letting out a giddy laugh. He turned to Usopp next to him and leaned forward to touch his covered head to his friend’s shoulder. “Look, you can stab someone with a headbutt!”

“Ah, Luffy!” Usopp fell over and dramatically pretended to defend himself and Luffy grabbed the old spear that they’d recovered too.

“Prepare to be slayed!”

"Noooo!"

“Luffy, please be careful,” Robin asked, though she had an indulgent smile on her face watching their antics. “They’re replicas of the discovered armor and weaponry of an old civilization.”

Luffy cooed, holding the spear with both hands and looking at the detail on the handle. “Were they strong?”

“They ruled most of the north and were very feared.”

“I wonder who was the best, I’d have liked to see them fight.”

Robin chuckled, soft and melodic. “Of course. And with the way they lived, it could have been anyone. They were one of the only ancient civilizations that encouraged all of their people to become fierce warriors, even the women; to leave and conquer or stay and protect.”

“Awesome!”

Usopp took his box of things and started heading for the door, claiming that he needed to finish unpacking. The back room that they used for storage was not very big and neither was the collection of things to put up. They had a small setup in the corner of the library for these things and later on tonight the kids would gather around for the first story telling - complete with reenactment if Luffy had any say in it!

He followed Usopp out, still wearing the mask and carrying the spear, but diverged as they entered the library proper. He jabbed the spear in the air with a few sound effects, careful not to be too rough with it. The shelves made for good hiding places so he put his back to one and sneaked down the little alley between them. Peaking through the spaces not blocked by books, he could see other customers browsing.

One woman hit him with her purse after he jumped out at her and he laughed, apologizing, before jumping back between the aisle as she grumbled about teenagers. He snickered, not correcting her in her assumption that he was that young, and ran around to kneel behind the boring textbooks to look for more prey.

He looked between the shelves and saw a man sitting at one of the tables. The desk was big enough for four people but he was the only one there and multiple open books cluttered the area. He also had a notebook that he was writing in, his hand jotting down things even as he had his eyes focused on the book he was reading from.

It was Tor-guy! Or well, whatever that long name had been, Luffy had decided to call him Torao.

There was a haggard look to him, dark bags under his eyes, contrasting with their bright color. He was frowning at his notes, and while Luffy thought that in itself wouldn’t be an indicator that something was wrong, he did set aside his pen to rub at his forehead. Those tattooed fingers traveled up to run through his hair, upsetting the fuzzy white hat with black dots on his head and pulling at it slightly, leaving it in a messy nest, strands going every which direction. Luffy watched him heave a sigh before taking his pen back in his hand to continue doing… whatever it was.

Luffy got up, walking around the stacks to the desk and hopping into one of the empty chairs, both feet, and crouched there, helmet on and spear bottom thumping against the floor. It didn’t take long to grab his attention.

Bright eyes looked up from under dark grumpy eyebrows and the man’s look of surprise then confusion almost made Luffy laugh. He tilted his head far to the right like he was curious and lifted the spear to drop it back to the ground again. _Thump- thump_

“Can I help you…?”

Luffy wanted to say something cool and scary to fit with the image so he coughed to clear his throat before very deeply saying. “I’m here to save you from the books of despair.”

He thought that was cool. 

Torao rolled his eyes like he was made for it. He put down his pen - and Luffy was enraptured by the sight of his finger tattoos again. “Straw-hat.”

“Eh?”

“What the hell are you even doing?”

Luffy’s eyes returned to the man’s face and he reached up to pull the helmet off, showing his grin. “Isn’t it cool? We’re doing a story-time event thing about these warriors!”

“You’re ridiculous.”

“You’re jealous.” That earned him a chortle and smirk. Not quite a laugh. Luffy wanted a laugh. “What ‘cha readin’?”

“I’m researching the valves of the heart. Diseases and infections and rhythmic issues.”

That sounded smart and important. “Why?”

“I’m trying to become specialized in cardiology surgery. And I have a patient with a heart murmur that I want to ensure is innocent and not a sign of something more serious.”

Sliding down to sit in his chair normally, he looked at all the open books; most of them are textbooks two inches thick and one had diagrams and pictures of something that looked like a real photo. He pointed to it, “Is that what a real heart looks like?”

Torao’s eyes lightened at the question, and Luffy figured that despite the man’s prickly exterior and attitude, particular topics of interest drew him out of his shell a bit. Not everyone was like that. Luffy liked to ask questions, like why did clouds float and how much did a whale poop, and some either found it too stupid or too annoying to answer.

Not Torao though, he leaned forward in the next moment and nodded in confirmation. “Yes, but,” He also pointed to the photo in the book. “These small masses here; that’s not normal. It’s called endocarditis and it’s what happens when a bacterial infection in the bloodstream gets to the heart and attaches to damaged valves.”

Luffy hummed. “How do you get a bacteria infection there?”

“In the many ways you would normally get an infection. If there’s bacteria present long enough and your body is in a weakened state, and particularly if there has been damage to the heart through any means, then it’s a risk. Like sepsis.”

“You have a patient with that?”

“No,” He shook his head. “My patient just has an abnormal flow, I think - or I hope. Her images come in clean. You ever hear your heart?”

“Yeah, I’ve played with Chopper’s ear-thing.”

“It usually makes a distinctive sound when it pumps blood in and out. This one sounds different. Sometimes it’s nothing. But if it is something, then I want to make sure I find it.”

“How long have you been here looking?”

The man looked down at his watch. “Four and a half hours now, I guess.”

“Wow.” No wonder Torao looked so tired, he was still in scrubs and white coat so he must have came here straight from the hospital. He looked even worse after the reminder as he rubbed against the bags under his eyes. “You’re a good doctor.”

“I know.”

Luffy grinned at the haughty way that was said. The more he knew about him, the more this guy seemed like a right brat and Luffy wanted to find out how deep that went. “So you gonna stay here and study some more?”

“Yeah, might as well. I’ll finish this book and by that time the library should be closing.” 

“You should come to story-time!”

“I don’t think so.”

“Come on, have a little fun!”

“Fuck off and die.”

He busted out laughing at that, earning him a reprimanded _shush_ from somewhere. “You’re funny.” Torao obviously thought differently. “Fine then, grumpy-pants, how about a coffee instead?” The man looked up at him, eyes wide. “I mean, you look dead on your feet, Chopper said you don’t remember anything half as good if you study like that.”

Golden amber eyes then narrow like he was suspicious. “No. I can get my own.”

Luffy laughed again, slightly quieter than before. “Duh, but you’ve been working really hard on saving people and it’s late so,” He shrugged, grinning and wondering if the guy was suspicious because he thought Luffy was going to poison it or something. “If you hate coffee, that’s fine.”

The man looked offended now. He made such funny faces, even if they were subtle, Luffy can see the way the eyebrow moved just slightly. “I don’t hate coffee… Just-” Back to frustrated. “What are you doing?” 

Luffy spoke slower. “I’m asking if you want me to bring you a cup of coffee…”

“ _Why_?”

“What do you mean why? It’s free and easy and I wanted to help you out. Besides, Robin makes a good cup, I hear. So if you like coffee and I’m offering coffee, what’s the problem?”

For such a smart guy Torao looked pretty stumped at this concept. Finally, he took a big breath and blew it out. “I’m assuming you’re talking about Nico Robin-ya?”

“Yeah!” Luffy bounced in his seat. “Yeah, she’s my friend! You know her?”

“A bit.”

“So?” Luffy egged on. 

“Fine, whatever.”

Grinning, Luffy put his helmet back on and lifted his spear with a roar like he was going into battle - but quietly - they were in a library, he was trying to be respectful! And then he charged back to the staff area, leaving Torao to roll his eyes again and sag in his chair like he was regretting it all.

It was so exciting that Robin and Torao already knew each other! When he described the guy to her along with the situation, she seemed happy to brew him a cup, even going so far as to put a little bit of cream into it, no sugar. They shared their love for caffeine it seemed, and she had seen how he took his coffee. “We both enjoy horror and mystery novels and when we see each other we like to recommend new ones. I have found his perspective very enlightening.” 

Luffy wasn’t surprised, he did get the impression that these two would be friends if they had the chance. “So, is he always so rude?”

She chuckled. “I don’t think he’s used to a lot of people. Mostly, he studies.”

“Doesn’t look very fun...”

Robin sat a mug of coffee before him; it had a cartoon drawing of a spotted seal on it with a speech bubble saying ‘I like you!’ and the statement _seal of approval_ below. “Unfortunately, saving people’s lives isn’t always supposed to be.”

Luffy frowned, pulling the mug towards him and holding it by the handle with his right hand. The hand that was still healing, black stitches still pulling at his skin where the metal bear trap had gotten him. Torao had done a great job with the stitches. Luffy felt like he could be the judge of that because he’s had so many throughout his life. In a place like the knuckles, where the skin stretched and loosened easily with hand movements, it was hard to put the stitches in just right so that they didn’t tear every time he made a fist or something. 

So, Torao was a good doctor. But he didn’t seem very happy and Luffy wondered why he kept pushing people away. He had those three guys he seemed close to, and they had nothing but good things to say about Torao, it was obvious that they were a family with how much they cared about each other, but Luffy noticed that Law kept a certain distance even from them. 

In fact, the few times Luffy had touched him he was either swatted away or Law moved. There didn’t seem to be any physical contact between them, which was weird for even friends. Law was always tense. He didn’t like it, but he didn’t know what to do. 

What do doctors do when they need a doctor?

Like she could read his thoughts, Robin smiled at him sweetly. “Even doctors need help sometimes. You’d be surprised what a little gesture like this could do, I’m sure he’ll appreciate it.”

And wow, she was so smart. Robin always made complicated situations sound so simple.

He thanked her, smiling wide, and took the mug with him back to the library.

Torao was still in the same place he’d been left at but he looked a little less frustrated when Luffy set the coffee down in front of him. “Robin said you guys read horror books together!”

“Yes.” He pulled the mug toward him and inspected it before taking a slow sip. He must have been pleasantly surprised at the perfect mix of coffee and creamer, his sigh gave it away. Robin was the best.

“Good, right?”

Torao rudely ignored him.

Luffy thought that the mug choice made it even better, the seal matched his hat... 

Without thinking about it much, he retrieved his phone from his jean’s pocket and brought up the camera app. Torao had leaned back in his seat, mug at his lips, held in both hands. Despite his exhausted appearance, this little treat did him good; his closed eyes and he breathed in deep like the smell alone was revitalizing him. He sounded a lot less stressed.

Luffy snapped a picture and the man across from him was none the wiser. Proof that Mr. Grumpy-Pants could be soothed, he thought with a mischievous grin. His first victory!

“I hope you find what you’re looking for, Torao! I’m going to start the story-time thing. Come see it if you want!”

He felt accomplished! Doctors needed help too, and while Luffy couldn’t help him with all that medical stuff, he could do something as simple give him a coffee. It was a small and meaningless token in the scheme of things, but Luffy has often found those were the most important. He did the same with his friends; they all had something that got to them, something small but impactful.

Sanji really loved to hear someone praise his food, Chopper loved educating someone on what he’d learned, Brooke loved playing his music for others to listen.

Torao liked talking about hearts and drinking coffee.

Torao, it would seem, had an aversion to kindness. He had been so stubborn about the offer of a simple coffee and later on, after the event was over, Robin would hand over a couple of dollar bills from him as payment.

She’d smile and say “ _He insisted._ ” And Luffy would growl in frustration. 

But for now, he thought that his considerate actions had brightened up the doctor’s day and he had been one more step closer to gaining a new friend, after his multiple failed attempts! 

Just… something about Torao was different, and he wasn’t sure what. What he did know, was that the last time he’d had to work so hard to befriend someone was Ace. His older brother had been hardened against strangers and didn’t have family before Luffy forced his way in. He’d fought back as Luffy pushed closer, lashing out or running away, and Luffy knew it was because he was scared.

That may not be why Torao was doing the same thing, and Luffy didn’t know enough about him to be sure, but that’s why he wanted to find out. He had a feeling, an instinct deep inside him, that told him to keep trying. 

Luffy never ignored instincts. 

His head tilted from side to side as he marched from the table to the back of the library, the helmet that he still wore was heavy and shifted with every move, so he did it more. Consumed by thoughts of the upcoming historic adventure and once more pretending to be a hunter of this lost civilization, crouching around a stack of shelving, he didn’t hear the man behind him when he said. “ _My name is not Torao!_ ” and that didn’t need an answer anyway.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Luffy just wants to be friends!
> 
> In the next chapter or two we'll start getting into more serious adventures. Thanks for sticking around!


	6. Dusk - Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Luffy didn't always believe in luck - but he acknowledged that he had a lot of it. 
> 
> Law accepts some new developments in his life.

"It's got a lot less space."

"It's just me."

"But you've got a huge kitchen! We should have a big fancy dinner here and use it."

"You can't cook."

"And a fireplace!"

"You're absolutely not allowed to use the fireplace."

"Oh, you've got a bathroom under the stairs! Look at the little built-in drawers!"

Law tipped his head back to look at the ceiling, his body sagged further down on the plush couch until his neck was supported by the backrest and he sighed. His eyes throbbed behind closed lids.

"He's going to want a big kitchen and little built-in drawers now." Kuzan muttered from the armchair to his left. "I blame you for the state of constant renovation to our house."

He smirked. "Wait until he sees the master bathroom."

"You bastard." Law gave him the middle finger, but quickly put his hand back down before Cora saw it as the man popped back into the living room from the door that led to a walk-in closet and hopped over to sit on the arm of Kuzan's chair. "I want one," He said with finality, and Law laughed - from Cora's bratty demand and Kuzan's face of acceptance. "It's really nice, Law. Is it what you wanted?"

"Yeah, the guys are a lot closer now, and I like to jog around the lake. I go almost every morning."

Cora cooed appreciatively.

Law stared at the fan as it spun leisurely and looked at the clerestory windows lining the room. A beautiful clear blue day beyond. "There's a little sun-room off the bedroom upstairs. As soon as I saw it, I knew Bepo would be coming over to take naps in the sun. There’s a loft area up there too, Shachi wants to get one of those gaming-tables for it, and I think Penguin has already used my kitchen more than I have."

“So, what you’re saying is…” Law waited for him to tease him; point out that getting a house was for him, not the others, and yet he particularly chose this house for the features he knew they’d care about. “It’s a frat house!”

“Wait, what? No!” Why was he so weird.

"Hey, where are those brats anyway? They better not be avoiding me!"

"They went down to the lake, they've been wanting to frolic in the sand or whatever for weeks now. Told them they could just wait for us there."

"Aw, they’re having all the fun without us! Let's go!" The man jumped up like they had to race to get there and Law wondered why he’d think that. The water was too cold to swim in, and Shachi and Penguin were just building stupid sand castles like children - scratch that, Cora was going to love it.

He took Law's hand on his way by and Law was jerked to his feet. Cora was a tall man, mostly in the legs, and Law felt like a kid running after him even now. Taking two steps to every one of his, Law complained about the treatment as they ran out the door. 

Kuzan followed at a lazy pace behind them and when Law looked back he was wearing a smirk, clearly making fun of him as payback for Law's jab earlier. He even gave a little wave of his hand. Law would have appreciated it more if he didn't hate him so much. It really was a pity. 

At some point Cora did actually let go of his hand and walked in front of them with a sway as he danced to some silent song in his head. It made Law smile slightly to see and reminded him of when they met. 

He thought the man was mute for a long time, because Corazon didn't speak when he picked Law up from the streets. Cora rarely interacted with any of the kids who had been displaced by the war and with the way Doflamingo had treated him, Law figured there was a traumatic event that caused the youngest of the siblings to lose his voice. And he now knew that to be true, but it wasn't quite the reason the man had been so quiet.

Once he opened up, Law was surprised at just how loud he could be. Cora was a great example of what it meant to not judge a book based on its cover. Law was too. 

They both understood that somewhere along the way, and had become closer for it. As it was now, seeing Cora like this meant he was happy and Law's chest warmed at the sight, even if he had Kuzan to thank for most of it. Kuzan was quiet by nature, lazy, one would think, but truly a very intelligent man who believed in working smarter, not harder. He was the kind of calm that a whirlwind like Cora needed; patient, deliberate, logical. 

Law would have wondered how they could work so well together when he didn't particularly believe in the whole "opposites attract" theory. Funnily enough, both Cora and Kuzan have a passion for traveling and loved winter climates and sports. Apparently Kuzan was also a secret nerd, which was perfect because Cora was too.

It was unfortunate, but due to Law's close relationship to Cora, he'd gotten to know all their little milestones. First date ( _bowling_ , ugh), first movie (a chick-flick that was definitely Cora's idea), first kiss (Cora called him and rambled for hours about how romantic it was under the night sky with it snowing). Someone should have taken Law out a long time ago for putting up with all that. But he listened, and he tried to understand, because he never got that feeling and he couldn't relate. In any of the relationships he'd been in, it always got weird after the first words of interest were exchanged. 

Law knew what he was attracted to. With a gay father figure in his life, he'd been unafraid of trying out a relationship with either gender. He'd never found anything that clicked though; it felt like every relationship was broken from the start. Holding hands was dumb, and Law hated how clammy they got. Cuddling was pointless because Law had other things to do than sit and be smothered. He looked for double-meanings in everything they did or said, and it was crazy, but Law never _cared_ about them like he should.

At first Law figured that, given time, he would. But he didn't, and eventually they all realized it.

So the moment it went south, he washed his hands of the mess and moved on.

Everyone said that relationships take work; the strongest of lovers had hurdles to jump to make it a successful and happy one, all Law needed to do was try. But for Law, there was no motivation to do so. He hadn't cared enough in the beginning anyway. 

So he watched and listened as Cora went on about their anniversary, talking about dinner reservations and lit candles, just like with Shachi's romantic books of true-love and all that was perfect - Law kept quiet. He just wanted them to be happy. And Cora was. So it didn't matter what Law thought or felt (or didn't).

Despite what he hated about Kuzan, the man was caring and respectful and he returned Cora's feelings. And loving Cora was something they shared. So even if Kuzan thought he was a rude asshole most of the time (and he wasn’t wrong), he still respected their relationship as a weird father-son bond, and encouraged their time together. It was something Law appreciated, because try as he might not to, Law felt like he was being pushed out. He needed Cora, and was beginning to see that Cora didn’t necessarily need him in the same manner. 

To that same effect, even if Law thought Kuzan was a hypocrite and that there were many things they would never agree on, he still tried to include him in things. He wouldn’t let jealousy or petty emotions get in the way of that. Once, they had both discussed future plans together to determine who got to spend time with Cora and when, and Kuzan had made a joke about custody and visitation rights- like Cora was a child being passed around - and the image never went away.

They still smirked at each other sometimes when they said, “Is it my weekend or yours?” Like it was a proper inside joke. Just went to show that they could get along, and did on occasion. 

So, when Law waved a quick hand to draw the older man's attention, it was to point out Cora's pants, the butt of which had a tear three inches long and showed a peek of white boxers covered in red hearts. They both snickered. "How the hell did that happen?"

"No idea," Kuzan replied.

Corazon turned around, and they both tried to wipe the look off their faces. "Don't walk backwards."

"Maybe that was how?" Kuzan muttered.

Law snorted and Corazon stopped walking - most likely not because Law told him to. "What's so funny?"

"Your face."

"Brat.” When they caught up to him, Cora stepped between them to wrap his arms around both of their shoulders, walking in tandem. Of course, he was taller than both him and Kuzan and none of them could keep an even rhythm with their steps so they were all forced to walk in stilted movements. “No idea why I keep you two; you’re so quiet, and rude, and smart - and when you gang up on me, it’s not fair!”

“We have to survive somehow,” Kuzan replied with a sigh.

“ _You’re_ a brat too.” He looked like he was going to say more when they spotted the three men they were looking for along the treeline where dirt transitioned to sand. 

It was a good twenty feet away from the waterline as gentle waves lapped up the small beach. The sun was bright and warm, reflecting on the sand, but Law could feel the cool breeze from the lake and together it felt like great weather to be outside. It would probably be the last chance to do something like this before winter hit.

Bepo had obviously made the most of it, laying on his towel comfortably, his bright, almost white, hair blending in with the sand. Shachi and Penguin had gotten closer to the trees where a wooden table and chairs were next to a grill. 

The fire was still lit, and Penguin had a spatula in hand, the smell of cooking meat and campfire smoke filled the air. And he was joined by a surprise guest - a fourth person. Familiar. Begging for some of the food Penguin had.

“What the fuck.” He stormed forward, shaking Cora’s arm off his shoulders. “Straw-hat,” He snarled. “I’m starting to think you’re stalking me.”

The man had the nerve to look surprised that Law was there, like he wasn’t expected. “Torao!” Around him, Penguin and Shachi snickered at the nickname and Cora looked back and forth, confused. “I wasn’t doing anything! I was fishing, cause I was hungry and wanted fish, and I saw Pen-Chi and smelled meat, so I came to see what they were cooking.”

Shachi laughed brightly, “He’s calling us ‘Pen-Chi’ cause Penguin and I are always together.”

“No, I’m pretty sure he just doesn’t know your names.”

Luffy scoffed, crossing his arms. “I totally know their names. And I know that one is Bepo!” He looked over to said man who was doing a decent job of pretending to be asleep. “But of course I know him, he’s freakin’ awesome! I saw him eat a fish whole the other day, I want to have an eating contest with him, I bet that would be fun. Let’s do that now!”

“Don’t just decide that yourself.” He sighed. “I would worry about you not getting fed, but you don’t look malnourished. Go eat someone else's food.”

“But I’m starving, Torao, please?”

“What happened to fishing for your own?”

“No fish are taking the bait.”

“Not my problem.”

Cora put a hand on Law’s head, over the warm hat he had on. His palm was big and his force pushed the hat down over his eyes. “Geez, who taught you manners?” Law didn’t have to see to know Cora was offering Luffy one of his grins, and he knew what was coming next; he wouldn’t be able to stop it. “Of course you can eat with us! Penguin always cooks more than enough and his food is always so good!”

“Really? Thanks! I’m Monkey D. Luffy!”

“I’m Rosinante, but these brats call me Cora.” He said, his palm pushed and pulled at Law’s head, gently but playfully ruffling the hat and his hair. Law protested the treatment, pushing at his arm and ducking underneath to get free. He put distance between those two - now convinced that with them both in the same area, he was going to end up with an aneurism. 

“Sorry about him.”

“That’s ok, I like grumpy-Torao. He’s funny!”

“Why _Torao_?”

“Ah, because his name is long and his spots reminded me of a tiger.”

“Tigers have stripes.”

“Oh.”

Over by Bepo, who was quiet and not annoying and didn’t give him high blood pressure, Law collapsed to join him in pretending to be dead to the world.

* * *

It wasn’t Luffy’s intention to crash their party, but when he had smelled delicious cooking meat and had been fed up with trying to catch fish, he decided to hunt down its source. When he saw some familiar people, he didn’t hesitate to go talk to them; these guys were friendly and welcomed him easily. In fact, one of the first things they joked about was that they had summoned him with dinner.

“Sure, if you want me to show up anywhere, you just gotta tell me there will be food.”

Shachi had gotten him a drink from the cooler and Bepo gave him a bag of chips as he passed by to laze in the sun. “What if we wanted to propose a deal then?”

Luffy had his cheeks full but hummed in interest, looking back and forth between Penguin and Shachi as they shared a look. It was like they had telepathy and were having a complete conversation. 

“See, we noticed the captain has been more lively lately.” Shachi explained.

“And by that, we mean expressive enough to go on long rants.” Penguin chipped in.

“We think you’re the kind of crazy that he needs-”

“-his life is so boring otherwise.”

“Such a tragedy.”

“We do the best we can.”

Bepo whined from a few feet away. “Law _likes_ boring. You guys are gonna get in trouble.”

Penguin sighed, closing the lid on the grill to let things cook a bit longer and joined Luffy at the table. “Look, we know Law doesn’t like many people and that’s not a bad thing, we’ve been friends for years, and if we’re all he needs then that’s fine. But we all work at the hospital with him and we’ve been trying to get him away from working so hard.”

“And no offense, but you seem harmless.”

“Like, you’re not in it for something else.”

Bepo sat up to give them a look and Luffy had the feeling he was being sized up. “You’re not looking for anything else, right?”

They all looked at him so intently and it was the first time Luffy felt threatened by them, but if anything it made his chest feel warm. They were good friends, and he knew they were just checking him out; Law was important, not just to them but to everyone. He was a skilled surgeon who attracted a lot of attention and often not the best kind. 

“Yeah! Torao is a good person. I want to help him!” It was difficult to explain why he was so drawn to the guy. It may have started as a curiosity, but by now Luffy just liked him; the person behind the mask of indifference or anger was more complex. He could see it in his eyes, the way they never reflected those base emotions he displayed. 

Luffy recalled the scene in the library; Law had looked so tired. He’d been cranky and acted like he didn’t care what Luffy did or didn’t do but the expression he wore as a result from simple genuine kindness, spoke volumes. “What do you want me to do?”

Shachi grinned. “Stay for dinner. I think you’ve made an impression on him.”

He didn’t really get it, but Luffy answered the grin with one of his own. “I do have a special talent for impressions.” He put on a scowl, brought his hand up to display his middle finger and went. “ _Fuck off, Straw-hat-ya_.”

Penguin and Shachi lost it, howling with laughter. Even Bepo was giggling, though he would apologize for it every ten seconds. 

It was only a couple minutes later that Law actually showed up and after Shachi and Penguin’s conversation about his work ethic, Luffy noticed signs of the man’s stress. He was a bit paler, his eyes still dark underneath, and even though he put up a good verbal argument against Luffy’s presence, he gave it up fairly easily. 

He went to go lay down by Bepo and Luffy left him alone in case he would take a nap, and found that Torao’s father figure, Cora as he took up calling him (much easier than Rosey-tea), was very easy to get along with. 

These people had a different dynamic than his friends. While Luffy considered his friends all family, they still had their own lives that Luffy wasn’t a part of. Most of them had their parents and siblings, still visited their hometowns, had adventures and stories that didn’t involve the others. 

This group was different, and Luffy began to understand that for Law, Penguin, Shachi, and Bepo, this was all they had. From living together for years, to working together, and hanging out together - it was an enclosed unit.

Luffy would have felt more like an outsider if they hadn’t been so inviting. They included him, were happy that he was there, and Cora was so nice, especially when he had been told several stories of how Luffy has been trying to befriend them all. He laughed freely, hugged Luffy even, and when the food was done, helped load Luffy’s plate up.

He really liked Cora. 

He was obviously close to Torao too, enough to tell him stories about his time at school here, teasing about how good of a student he was. Getting amazing grades and never staying out late or going to crazy parties - perfect, until he’d get expelled for a few days after punching a fellow student or whatever.

Luffy wanted to hear more. He wanted to ask about their relation to each other, because he knew very well that blood didn’t make a family, it was all about who you choose, but Cora and Law looked nothing alike and it was alluded to that Torao wasn’t a native here. Where did he come from then? 

However, while Luffy may not have the best social awareness skills, he did get the feeling that those types of questions were taboo. As welcoming as they all were, it seemed like a piece of the puzzle was missing; the people around him knew something he didn’t and it was tip-toed around carefully. They didn’t talk about the past further than a couple of years and when the subject of their gossiping, Law, woke up to join them, they got even more careful with what they said.

That was all fine though, Luffy believed that everyone had little secrets and it was their business alone to share those secrets. If Torao and the others didn’t want to talk about their pasts then he could talk about his. In between the giant bites of food he took and talking, the time passed quickly and even Torao looked like he’d relaxed.

“How many bones have you broken exactly?”

“Lost count. But I’m pretty flexible and double-jointed.” He brought his hand up to show, pulling his fingers all the way back past the point of normal until they almost touched his wrist. The others made varying noises of disgust and awe and Torao rolled his eyes. He did the same with his elbows and knees. “Should have been a circus performer!”

“And yet you’re a boxer.”

“Yep!”

“Why?”

He hummed, considering. “Someone I knew was a fighter. A good one.” He took his hat off his head to twirl it on his finger. “This was his… I was a stupid kid and got into an accident but he saved me. He lost his arm though, and his whole career. Can’t be a boxer with one arm.” He held the hat gently in his hands, looking it over. He tried to take care of it as much as possible, but the red ribbon was frayed. At least that would be easier to take care of or even replace, but the hat as a whole… 

“He gave me this when I told him I wanted to be a boxer. I wanted to be strong so nobody would have to save me like that again, and so I could protect people like he did. It was a promise: to be the strongest, reach the top, and fulfill both of our dreams.”

He looked up and grinned at Torao upon seeing the soft look in the man’s eyes. “And where is that man now?” He asked.

Luffy laughed. “No idea! He travels a lot.” Torao sighed, his eyes darting to Cora before going back to the table. He looked melancholic again and so the fighter reach over to put his hat on him, over the fluffy one he already wore. “It’s ok that he’s not around, cause I know he watches every one of my matches. He calls me to congratulate me and gives me pointers. I don’t have an official coach or anything, but a lot of what I learned was from him.”

He felt Torao loosen up, his shoulders dropping as one hand came up to touch the brim of straw. His eyes were bright, reflecting the golden leaves of autumn that surrounded them. 

Those colors captivated Luffy for a moment, before a question from Shachi brought him back. “What? Oh, his name was Shanks - Red Force.”

“Seriously?!” Shachi exclaimed. 

He laughed at their expressions, and explained for the others who didn’t know that Shanks had been an undefeated champion for many runnings. He was aptly named Red Force and was a terrifying opponent in the ring. Before the accident, he was becoming famous even outside of those who observed the sport, so he wasn’t just some obscure fighter.

Torao wore his hat for the next hour or so, and even traded his own for the moment, though he looked hesitant to hand it over. Luffy hadn’t asked and Law didn’t explain. He didn’t need to, because when he got it in his hands he realized just how old it was as well. He looked at the patches and stitches of repair he realized the significance. Along the interior lining was a tag, faded ink reading…

_To the best brother in the world!_

_\- Lami_

He smiled, once again finding something in common with Torao, in the form of treasured headwear. He put it on his head, ears warm under the fur and grinned. “Now I can do better impressions of you!”

So he did. Until Torao kicked him under the table. “You are insufferable!”

“I think it’s hilarious,” Cora said, his hands on his abdomen from laughing so hard. “We should do this again! We never get together anymore!”

“Yeah, we never get time off,” Penguin said. “What about we shoot for next week though, I know we’re moving to night shift, so that frees up some day time.”

“But, sleep...” Bepo protested. “Sorry.”

Shachi groaned. “Don’t apologize, you have a point. Sleep, Peng.”

“We’re on twelve hours, off twelve hours, even with a full eight hours of sleep - which we never get - you’ve got four hours to pack in regular life-stuff.”

“That is just sad.”

“Tell that to workaholic over there who works late and _doesn’t_ sleep.”

Cora sighed. “What about you, Luffy?”

He looked up in surprise. “Ah, well, I’m going to my brother’s next week, but me and my friends were all planning to go to an arcade.” Suddenly, he was super excited. “We should all go!” His friends and these new friends would get along great, and then they could be an even bigger group of friends! “I’ll try to get my brother to come too. Ace loves those things.”

“Ace?” The question was from Kuzan. Up until now he’d been very quiet. He had taken a nap in the first half of their time here and was minimally engaged in conversation throughout. Luffy liked him well enough, he had slumped in his seat next to Cora, broad shoulders brushing against each other. Kuzan had dark skin and black hair in tight curls, dressed in white whereas Cora was fair skinned with blond hair and wore black. It was an interesting contrast. 

“Ace D. Portgas,” Luffy elaborated. “He’s a firefighter in division two.”

Kuzan had a blank expression on his face. “Your brother, huh?”

“Yeah!” Luffy grinned, obviously proud. “You know him?”

“Just recognize the name.” That wasn’t surprising, the firefighters in Whitebeard's crew were great at their jobs and pulled off a couple of daring rescues. Kuzan got up, stretching lazily. “Sun is setting, we should be leaving soon.”

The others followed, packing things up. There wasn’t much for Luffy to do so he stood by until Torao came up to him with his straw hat in his hands. 

“Thanks!” They made the exchange, Luffy feeling complete with his hat back on his head, even if his ears were colder now. “This was really fun!”

“You’re so weird, straw-hat,” Torao replied. His voice wasn’t as sharp as it was the last time he’d said that. “I don’t understand you.”

“Just say that you had fun.”

“I hated every moment.”

“I don’t believe you. What about about arcades? You like those?”

“Loud places with screaming children and machines that take all your money for tickets you can only buy a pack of gum with? Naturally.”

His dry humor made Luffy laugh. “Let’s go then!”

“Why do you keep inviting me to things?”

“Why does there need to be a reason? Why can’t I just ask you out?” Torao froze, looking at him with wide eyes and Luffy ran that sentence over again in his head. “I mean, not like _that_. Hang out. Hang out like friends!” He stumbled over his words, and his face felt warm.

Law’s eyes were starting to narrow in suspicion. “Do you have a crush or something-”

“No,” Luffy was quick to answer and realized that didn’t exactly help his case. 

“ _Really_?” That suspicion was turning to smug. “Things would make a lot more sense.”

That kind of irked him, giving him the shove he needed to blurt out, “I’m not like that. I don’t want anything more I just _like_ you.” 

Luffy never really had _crushes_ on people in the traditional sense. He saw people he liked and ached to be close to them. He’s never had a boyfriend or girlfriend, despite the few chances he’s had to experience them, and this wasn’t the first time his interests were taken in this light. 

Maybe he displayed the wrong signals, but in general he blamed everyone else for thinking he had some dirty sexual thoughts behind his genuine affectionate attitude. He was the type of person who hugged someone when he wanted and held hands if it was needed, and he never looked at a person and thought about them for the sake of lust. 

Torao was beautiful, for sure, and he had stared at his tattoos and piercings and eyes for a little longer than necessary. There was also a giddy butterfly-feeling in his stomach when Torao laughed and Luffy wanted to be a reason for that laugh. Then there was the way his heart skipped a beat whenever their hands brushed; because Torao’s hands were so soft and cool to the touch and Luffy -

He guess that’s what a crush _was_ , so maybe he did have one. 

But when he thought of them _together_ it was not in bed or anything, but just like this - like it was today. They traded secrets and treasures and laughed together and talked, and Torao hadn’t been defensive and Luffy wasn’t restless with energy.

“Ok,” Law said and Luffy couldn’t read him to know what he was thinking. “I don’t get it, but… thank you.”

That was a rare enough token of gratitude for Luffy to grin at and he bounced in place on his feet in excitement. “Awesome, so we’re going to the arcade?”

“You are the worst.” Luffy laughed, taking that as an agreement. “I don’t know when I’ll have the time though, so you’re out of luck.”

“Gimme your number then so you can text me when you do.”

The doctor looked amused. “I don’t know whether to be impressed or pissed off, Straw-hat. You sure you’re not coming onto me?”

It made Luffy’s stomach flip again and he laughed to play it off. He took his phone out of his pocket instead to hand it over. It was a beat up phone, a couple years behind the new model and even with the heavy duty silicone and plastic case Sabo had gotten him, the screen was still cracked in the corner. It wasn’t password protected (cause why) and Law smiled when he saw it.

“I can’t believe I’m doing this,” He muttered as he put his contact info in.

“You were gonna give in eventually.” The man chortled and gave his phone back after his own beeped in his pocket, and Luffy stuffed it back into its place and started to back away. “Gotta go get my fishing gear - I hope it wasn’t stolen actually.”

“Whatever, fuck off already.”

“Don’t forget to text me when you’re free!” He called.

“I’m sure you won’t let me.”

As Luffy turned around to properly leave the others after generous waves and goodbyes, he found his cheeks were still warm. When he got back to the little pier he’d been at just a few hours ago, he took his phone out to look at the new contact.

“TRAFALGAR LAW (Not Torao)”

He laughed, feeling ridiculously happy. 

In a few quick seconds he edited the name to say “Definitely Torao” and sent a screenshot to the new number, starting a new thread of conversation. He packed up his fishing gear and left the park - the park he’d only started coming to because Robin and Franky were looking at houses here. From that first moment that he saw the lake he knew he had a new fishing pool to go to, but the moment that he had ran into Torao was when he consistently started to fish again. 

Maybe subconsciously he was hoping to see him once more. And it paid off, because if he hadn’t he would have missed this chance. 

Damn, maybe he really did have a crush. 

He supposed there was a first for everything! 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was harder to push out. Lots of dialogue and setup! I'm trying to keep chapter lengths steady and stick to this general outline I have put together. Hoping to wrap this up in 20 chapters, but I'm not sure if it'll go over or not! Anyway, I'm excited for the next chapter, because that one... well, you'll see! I've already written part of it in between little roadblocks I've had during this one. :D
> 
> Thanks for sticking around and for those who leave kudos or comments, thank you lots!


	7. Dusk - Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The moment it all fell apart.

It wasn’t uncommon to hear a motorcycle’s engine around their apartment complex, Luffy knew the person two buildings over owned one, but the loud sound of a sports bike revving up right outside Luffy’s window caught his attention. His heart leaped as he sat up on his bed. He’d been lazing across his comforter, bored out of his mind as everyone seemed busy, so he'd been playing on his phone.

Torao had been texting him while on break and they've had several conversations around their contact titles. Luffy had settled on "To-Ra-o" while Law had sent him a shot of his name labeled only as the monkey emoji. 

At first, Luffy was afraid of texting too much and annoying him, but even if Torao didn't respond to all of his silly pictures and jokes (and puns, lots of puns), he still sent a little reaction to the post. He hadn't complained, and Luffy often just needed to express what was going on in his life. 

Like today at the gym, when Zoro accidentally cracked the mirror by being a little too enthusiastic with the weights, and Luffy had taken a picture of it, laughing uproariously as his friend got berated by the owner.

Then Robin had these special flowers bloom and the colors were so pretty that Luffy had to share the picture with someone. 

_Luffy: It has SPOTS!_

_Law: You offering me flowers now?_

_Law: Flattered but no thanks._

_Luffy: Only nice people get flowers anyway!_

_Law: pity_

So he used his phone to narrate a lot of his life to others, but he didn't need replies. When everyone worked and did their own thing, Luffy was left to his own devices, which was fine, but boring. Even his job at the reserve was about to end as the seasons changed. People didn't visit often with the winter coming in and a lot of services and tours closed until it spring. 

He'd have to find something else soon. Normally he wouldn't be worried about it, but things really were starting to change. Robin and Franky were about to make an offer on a house and Usopp had been talking about his childhood friend Kaya a lot lately. He loved her, Luffy knew, and he figured eventually he'd make his move (he'd get the courage to at some point). She was from a very well off family but she was overprotected and sheltered because of her propensity for getting sick. 

He didn't know what would happen, but if his roommate decided to spend an extended time back in his hometown, then Luffy might not be able to afford the place on his own. So far, he'd only been able to nail down two fights and Nami was working on getting more, but sometimes it was iffy.

His life and living situation was just as unpredictable as he was. 

But if there was one thing that would cheer him up from all the future concerns he hated to dwell on, it was Ace!

With sudden energy, he jumped from his bed to push curtains aside from his window, looking down at the parking lot. He could see a familiar red street bike pulling into a free space. The figure on it had a helmet on, but Luffy could recognize Ace from his leather jacket, the distinctive symbol of a cross with a white crescent moon across the back. Luffy didn’t need to take in any more details as he turned around to scramble outside, tripping over some dirty clothes he left on the floor and almost eating it.

He slammed his apartment door closed as he barged through and took steps down two at a time to get to the parking lot as the engine was cut off. Ace was still sitting on it, feet on the ground to either side. He pulled the black and red helmet off to show his face, a ruggish grin on as Luffy launched himself at him.

“Hey!” They embraced tightly, Ace always a bit rough and Luffy smothering as he tried to wrap his arms around his older brother like a snake. Ace chuckled and just tried to breathe, his arms returning the squeeze around Luffy’s waist. “Don’t tip me over, doofus, you scratch my bike and I’ll use my brotherly rights to murder you.”

Luffy laughed, pulling back to look Ace over. “You're early!”

“Yeah, I wasn't on roll today so I left as soon as I could. You busy?”

“No! This is perfect. I still have to get some things though, come help me pack!”

Luffy gave him space to get off his bike, watching the man put away his helmet. He was taller, Luffy noticed, but his shoulders had always been broader; all three siblings were athletically fit but in different ways. Ace was the strongest in terms of straight muscle, his job as a firefighter saw to that, what with carrying heavy things all the time.

His black hair was wavy and longer than Luffy's too and the freckles across his cheeks were darker from the sun. He still had his red-beaded necklace on, a defining piece that he never took off. He looked healthy and strong and Luffy realized it had been way too long since they last saw each other - couple of months in the least!

They walked up the stairs back to Luffy's apartment and spent time catching up while the younger ran around the house, stuffing clothes and toothbrush in his backpack. "What was the plan?"

"Izo wanted to see a movie or something, but I think mostly we're gong to hang around the station and play some games."

"Yes!" Luffy dragged it out in a hiss. "Have you heard from Sabo? Is he coming?"

"Nah, he called and said he was being shipped out to Dressroso or something." He shrugged, but Luffy and Ace both knew they were disappointed in another chance missed. Sabo was in a specialized division of the police force that focused on organized crime and home security, so he was sent on jobs around the world to investigate and nullify threats.

Sabo's biological family had been where it all started; they were rich from extortion and human trafficking - Luffy couldn't remember what all they had done, but they were violent and abusive to their son. They had been grooming him to take more of an active role in their organization, "toughen him up," and introduce him to the more inhumane practices of human subjugation.

When Sabo had run away, Luffy and Ace had begged Dadan to take him in officially. The cranky old bat on the hill hadn't wanted any children, and yet she wound up with three. She truly cared about them all and even if she put up an argument, she let the kid stay with them. It wasn't a solution though...

One night, Sabo had been kidnapped, forced to return home, and whether it was luck or something else, their vehicle was struck by a semi-truck that sent them over a ravine and caught fire. The parents were killed in the crash, but Sabo had survived, though in a coma for months before recovering slowly. He would have been lost had the accident not been broadcast on the news; he had no memory, nobody knew who he was, no other family claimed him.

Those months were dark, in which Ace and Luffy grieved, not knowing if their brother was going to survive or not... and when he woke up, he seemed like a whole different person as he relearned who he was and why they were important.

Things had gotten so much better since then, of course, but as they grew up, they went their own ways. Sabo had a passion for children who were in the same situation he had been, and his job allowed him to put an end to that injustice.

And then Ace had met his crew.

At first, Ace had just needed a job, something that could support them, but volunteering at the fire department changed his whole outlook on life. The firefighters were like a family; a tight-knit group that spent so much time together that by the time Ace was eighteen and had decided to move out, he barely had any of his stuff left to move.

It was a weird family, but Luffy liked them. Izo and Thatch, Marco, and Teach - they were funny and cool to hang out with. The chief, Edward Whitebeard, treated everyone like his children and he made sure they were equipped, trained, and more as they fought to put out fires and save lives. For Ace, that bond was particularly meaningful; he hid it very well, but Luffy knew he had a complex about father figures. When the chief took him in and accepted him in more ways than just as a member of the team, it sealed Ace's love and loyalty for the unit as a whole.

These brothers had always been a source of admiration for Luffy. While Dadan took care of them and loved them in her own way, they couldn't call her a mom and wouldn't exactly say she raised them either. None of them had a mother or father figure in their lives, so they made it up as they went along.

Sabo liked to cook and clean and he was sweet (but terrifying) and willing to listen to Luffy go on about things for hours. He ran his fingers through Luffy's hair sometimes and told them all to go bathe. He was by far the most responsible of them. Ace, the eldest, dealt with things in a more hands-on kind of way. If Luffy was bullied, it didn't last long, and if he was scared (as he often was back then), Ace would do whatever he needed to do to make Luffy feel better. With a metal bat.

It didn't mean he was always nice about it though, cause Ace hated to see him cry and he did it an embarrassing amount as a kid. 

But Ace was their rock. Even when they had shelter over their heads and enough food to not starve, life was difficult, and he was the only one that never faltered. Sabo had taken a fall, Luffy and stumbled, but Ace continued to hold them up. 

It turns out that Luffy had a lot of heroes in his life, not just Shanks, for sure. That's why Luffy was proud to have made it so far. Over the years, he'd finally gotten his feet fully underneath him and taken off running to his goal of becoming strong. 

He couldn't call himself a crybaby anymore! The pain of punches and kicks didn't phase him in that way now, and he wasn't afraid to look even the biggest of guys in the eye to challenge them. Even in the face of defeat, he never backed down and if there was any sense of fear, he set forth to conquer it. That's why he did a lot of those stunts on his video channel. He'd been afraid of drowning so he went down rapids, he'd been afraid of falling so he went bungee jumping.

Ace and Sabo both gave him an earful about it, but he saw the awe in their eyes and it made him happy - like he proved to them that he was as strong as he said he was, physically and mentally.

He wondered what they had to say about his latest fight against Enel. If Sabo wasn't going to be at the party though, and was being sent off for a job, then it might be a while before he got the chance to ask.

"He told me he was going to get some time off for the holidays, though." Ace said like he'd read his mind. "I told him to bring Koala. That chick is a very fine line of crazy and it's hilarious to see him jump at every command."

Luffy agreed. He finished packing up with some snacks from the kitchen and then locked up. Ace didn't live far, a forty minute drive at the most, and it was a beautiful day for a bike ride. The older brother looked over his old car, the firefist, and praised Luffy for taking care of her. 

"I don't drive her much. I mostly take the bus to the reserve and the gym is close enough to run to." Luffy also didn't like to drive much in the first place. While never being in a wreck of any significant damage, he still gets teased over the amount of curbs he hits, signs he's bumped into, and his total lack of skill in parking straight.

He originally wanted a bike like Ace's but Sabo vetoed that idea quick and Luffy thinks he was the one to put the idea in Ace's head to give him his old car. The firefighter was surrounded by his crew, most of which had vehicles themselves, so it wasn't an issue to hand it down.

Honestly, Luffy should be more offended at their opinions on his driving, because Ace... 

Ace was way worse. 

Luffy usually loved riding on the back of the sleek street bike, cruising around town and feeling the wind. It wasn't often that Ace had the patience for that though, and today, like any normal day, his brother forgot speed limits existed and figured the lines on the road were more of suggestions.

They weaved in and out of traffic, and Luffy held on tighter as they made a turn that they needed to lean into. The bike tilted, the road came closer, and the gravitational force pushed against them as they made it around the bend.

It was a rush and Luffy found himself smiling as they straightened up and Ace pushed the bike to go a little faster.

He still kinda wanted a bike. He thought of all the tricks and stunts he could pull and all the new video material for his channel. Maybe not a street bike, but an off-road bike so he could take it on the trails and really try his hand at it.

Sabo would be so mad.

Luffy laughed and at a point that they had a straight and narrow road, he let go of Ace's waist to put his hands out. And for some reason, he thought of Torao. Torao would probably be mad too - he'd already been lectured about safety precautions since his make-shift zip-line video the other day.

" _Do you have any self preservation instincts at all?_ " He'd gotten over text. and Luffy had jokingly replied " _What are those?_ "

Luffy wished he could have seen Torao's face. He'd bet it was the angry scowl number three - where he appreciated the joke but was effectively annoyed and typically was followed by a rude hand gesture.

If he got a bike, he'd definitely take Torao for a ride on it. He'd let him hold his arms out like he was doing now, to feel the exhilaration, the wind around his body giving him the feeling of flight. 

A forty minute ride? More like thirty.

They pulled up to the fire station just before dinnertime. Many from the crew were there, hanging around the house that was attached to the back of the station. The front was what you'd expect of a warehouse look; large garage door, open to show the giant red firetruck, an ambulance, and the equipment lining the wall. There was a little addition to it for the administrative side that housed offices and such with a regular entrance that looked funny compared to the hanger next to it. 

A fire crew had several divisions that handled various emergencies. Ace commanded the program for special operation rescues; he'd been in the news recently for saving stranded and injured hikers on the mountains. With the bay being so close, he got calls of ship related accidents too, and if there was a flood or natural disaster... basically they had to be ready for anything.

Then there was EMS, Emergency Medical Services, which Marco Phoenix saw over. Communications, commanded by Izo. Thatch, the leader in equipment (and the driver and maintenance guru of 'The Truck'). Then there was administration and operations and prevention divisions. 

Luffy just came to understand that the "fire department" didn't just deal with fire. 

But all the people he'd come to know from the fire station were there! They cheered when Ace rolled up, and Luffy could barely get his helmet off before he was crushed in hugs he returned with enthusiasm. He used to see them more often during the time he was in school; Ace and Sabo would be working so Luffy was left with various members in his free time. These guys fed him, helped with his homework, played games with him, and (the best part) showed him around the cool equipment they had.

He was given rides in the truck and they let him use the hose, and generally really cool to hang out with. They weren't always gathered here in the same place, each serving different areas and working in different offices, but they all got together for this occasion.

It wasn't really _for_ anything. The Whitebeard crew liked to party, and Luffy's visit was the perfect time to do it. So they planned, loosely, around this day and Ace took a few days off to spend time with them, Luffy definitely included. He was planning to spend the next two nights here.

They all tumbled inside the back door of the house where the kitchen was, loud and obnoxious. And Luffy almost ran straight into the legs of a ladder in the middle of the aisle. "Woah," He wrapped his hand around one of the legs to make sure it was steady and grinned up at the figure on the top rung. "Hey Teach!"

"Luffy!" He was greeted back. "Glad you came, sorry about being in the way."

"What are you doing, T?" Ace asked.

"Changing out batteries in all the smoke detectors. You know how they beep."

"Yeah, don't spend too long, tonight is party night!" Ace pulled Luffy around, arm around his shoulders. "Come see pops."

Edward Whitebeard looked a lot older than Luffy remembered him being. While his mustache had always been white and he still looked fit, his skin was thinning, liver spots were blooming, and he was moving slower. 

He was boisterous when seeing Luffy, and although he'd never gotten the chance to know the chief as well as the others, nor did the man see him as a close 'child' like he saw the others, they treated each other like extended family. Luffy was happy to spend time with the man Ace was so close to, and Whitebeard welcomed him with ease. "I saw your latest match."

"Really?" The man bounced, pleased whenever anyone mentioned his fights. 

Ace's arm tightened around his shoulders like a snake and his hair was suddenly being mussed. The hand rubbing against his scalp pulled his head back and forth with the force, and it was just this side of annoying and painful and Luffy struggled in the captive grip. "You had us worried for a second too! Letting that asshole beat you up..."

Whining never got him sympathy from his big brother's teasing, but Luffy still wailed, at the treatment and at the implication that he had been beaten up. "I won! Doesn't matter! Stop! Abuse! I'll tell Sabo!"

Sabo's name was a great deterrent, the threat worked almost all the time because both of them knew that the middle child in their band of three was maybe the most terrifying. He was usually the mitigator in their arguments. 

Or judge. And executioner. 

Luffy was careful not to use the threat too often or it would lose it's power. It was often a risk that could come bite him in the ass anyway; Sabo didn't play favorites. 

"Don't be a crybaby, tattle-tale."

The younger growled loudly. "I am not!"

"You sound like a cute little lion cub trying to roar."

"Ace!"

Whitebeard was laughing, entertained by their rough-housing and sibling arguments. But that soon turned to coughing. His body shook with the force of them, and he took a piece of fabric from his pocket to cover his mouth with as he hacked.

Marco came up from behind them and Ace and Luffy parted to let him through, both watching with wide concerned eyes. The fit eventually calmed and then died off, and Whitebeard was taking little sips of the water Marco had brought him.

"Don't give me that look," It wasn't clear to whom he was referring to; Marco who had on his 'I told you so' face, or Ace's 'let's go to the hospital right now' face.

Or even Luffy's slightly guilty expression, because he'd made the man laugh and apparently that was not a good thing.

"I'm fine." 

Nobody looked convinced, and Marco sighed. "I told you to take a break and rest hours ago. Come on."

In quiet, the man was led out of the room and upstairs to the bedrooms. The several people who had come to witness the event observed in tense silence. "He's been a lot worse lately," Ace said quietly. 

"What happened?"

"It started with pneumonia, but he hasn't been recovering. I think it's all the stress and it's making it worse. Some marines have been coming around asking him for shit and pushing him to retire. He's seventy and slowing down, but he's not in the field anymore!"

"I don't think its that simple," Thatch put in. "As chief, he's pretty privy to government activity, and he's run across these marines a few times. I don't know what it is, but I've heard them trying to bribe pops into keeping quiet about something."

Ace hissed in anger, and Luffy could recognize his methods of keeping calm. His older brother was always quick to anger. By opening and closing his fists and breathing slowly, he kept himself from flying off in a rage. "I've seen them skulking around too. There's this guy who wears a stupid baseball cap and smokes cigars. Next time I see him..."

"Don't get in trouble Ace."

The man blow out a large sigh. "Whatever, sorry Loof."

"It's ok. You're worried about him."

"Yeah." 

Luffy took his brother's hand, determined to distract him. He pulled him through the house and into the warehouse area to ask about the new equipment (or 'toys') that Ace always like to go on about. 

_Gushing_ wouldn't be the right word but his older brother got very enthusiastic when showing off the axes, fire retardant technology, and... things Luffy was never going to remember.

He still didn't understand why you would need _explosives_ for a rescue mission, but that didn't matter, cause Ace was a bit of a pyromaniac and gave him a demonstration anyway.

By that point, food was served and the warehouse was crowded with the members of the team. Someone was always on watch for the emergency calls, but it was thankfully a very peaceful night. 

Luffy took a picture of himself on the truck ladder, helmet on over his straw hat, a heavy fire suit on, and a chicken leg in his mouth and sent it to Torao.

_Luffy: Photo downloading..._

_We used proper safety gear to cook the meat over_

_high flame. You would be proud._

_Law: With all that gear on, you'd_

_still find a way to burn yourself._

_Luffy: :D Hey, how did you know?_

_Law: What, you really did burn yourself?_

_Fucking... HOW_

_Luffy: I bit into the meat while it was still too hot._

_Law: ..._

His thumbs were flying over the screen, typing out a reply when his phone was swiped out of his hand. Izo hummed and looked at it. "Who you textin'?"

"Um," Shit, he didn't think about having to explain who Torao was. "A friend."

"Oh, my..." Izo was scrolling through his messages, and if he wasn't Luffy he'd be appalled at the breech of privacy but as it was, he just shrank into the ladder behind him. "You're flirting."

"What? No." Was he? What was flirting defined as? Was it just for couples?

"Ace, look!"

"Don't!" He tried to make a grab for his phone, but Izo was too quick and Luffy started to scramble down from where he was laying on the ladder to reach them. By that point, he was too late.

"He's blushing! Oh! I knew this day would come!" Izo took him by the shoulders and shook him. Over their shoulder, Ace was now scrolling through his phone. "Twenty-two years and not a single interest!"

"Who is this?" Ace asked. "Is Torao even a name?"

"Gimme!"

Instead of listening to Luffy as he whined and struggled in Izo's embrace, he decided to read things out loud. " _What about other places you do like? You'd love bookstores right?_

_"A cliche bookshop and coffee date? You'll have to do better than that._

_"Being so difficult isn't cute_ ," Ace's voice got high pitched at the end. He looked up at Luffy with the biggest eyes he'd ever seen. "Spill."

"Torao is just a friend. That I like. Like-like."

Izo screeched in his ear excitedly and Ace dramatically held his hand to his chest. "You can't date! You can't date until your eighty!"

"We're not dating!"

Thatch took the phone from Ace's lax grip. "But you want to?"

"Um," Luffy finally squirmed his way free of Izo's grip and since Thatch was nice, he got his phone back. "Sorta? I mean... I don't know. He's different though."

"How different?"

Luffy shrugged, feeling his face warm. "He's nice, even if he pretends he's not, and he's smart, and I like talking to him cause he makes these jokes, and he's fun to be around, and he puts up with my shit - and he's super pretty."

They were nothing but mumbles at the end but thanks to how quiet the hanger was, they heard every word. Luffy's dark eyes looked up and there was a kind of fear in his chest at what he'd find on his brother's face. They never talked about this. 

It was more than just coming out as gay - which he really wasn't sure he was even now, it was the fact that all this time Luffy had thought he was broken in some way. Everyone his age went out and lost their virginity and talked about girl's (and boy's) bodies like there was a secret rating scale to them that Luffy didn't know about. 

Both Ace and Sabo had noticed things; like how Luffy never went through that phase, never brought anyone home or took anyone out. He didn't even watch porn or masturbate. 

Well, that last bit wasn’t quite true, he tried, but porn didn’t do anything for him and masterbation _felt_ good but it wasn’t something he cared to do often. So he didn’t.

It wasn’t quite an intervention, but Ace and Sabo had brought things up as delicately as they knew how. They asked if he was gay, ensured that Luffy could tell them anything, they wouldn’t judge - but he wasn’t. His orientation was… nothing. And when they all arrived to that conclusion there wasn’t much else to do.

Now that it's changed, Luffy was suddenly, irrationally, worried that it wouldn't be as accepted. It was a stupid fear though, cause Ace just brought his hand up to settle on his helmet covered head, roughly pulling him into a hug again.

“Tell us about him. Anyone who has caught your eye must be special - not sure if it’s the good special or not, but definitely something.” Luffy grinned, hugging him back.

He looked up, pushing the oversized helmet back to see better. “Wanna see him?”

Izo answered for them, “Uh, _yeah_!”

The man went through his phone to find the one picture he has of Torao. He’s looked at it a couple times, feeling giddy as he set it to Law’s contact. He wishes Torao had his eyes open for it, but the look on his face is so serene that he doesn’t truly mind. 

He still had one arm around Ace so the man was closest, the other two hovered around their shoulders. Izo cooed.

“Are those tattoos on his hands?” Ace asked. 

“Yeah, look, they spell death!”

Ace threw his hands up. “Yep, okay, he’s the bad kind of special.”

“No, no, Ace, look!” Luffy started to laugh, knowing his brother’s reaction was a joke from how exaggerated he was being. “He’s a doctor.”

All of them stayed up late into the night, spending most of it talking about boys and girls and for the first time Luffy felt like he could contribute to the conversation. It was still lacking in a few areas but he hadn’t even told his friends about his feelings for Torao yet. It was nice to finally open up about it and ask questions. 

Like, how did he know if Torao liked him back? What was the difference between a date and hanging out? Was it ok if he wasn’t sure about the sex part? Should he tell Torao about it?

His brother laughed loudly, freely, a little buzzed on beer, and they were crossing the yard from the warehouse, ready to end the night and go to sleep. Luffy had jumped onto his back to be carried and maybe it was because he was higher than the others, or because he was the only one who hadn’t been drinking, but he was the only one to notice the person standing across the street.

It was the burning of a cigar that caught his eye, because it was dark outside of the house’s patio lights and a dull red was different enough to stand out compared to the warm street lights. 

He leaned against the fence across the way, arms crossed. It was too dark to tell but he looked like he was wearing a uniform and the baseball cap he had covered his face. Luffy thought it was weird, but they were heading inside before he could bring it up and the others were loudly shushing each other.

He didn’t know what time it was but Ace ushered him upstairs and got him into a bedroom. Obviously, it was Ace’s and it was a mess, much like Luffy’s was. His leather jacket was thrown over the mattress and tools were scattered across his dresser and nightstand. “Go to sleep.” 

“Where you goin’?”

“Couch. It’s comfy, no worries. See you tomorrow.”

“Night!” He put his straw hat onto the nightstand and fell onto the bed face-first, falling to sleep quickly.

* * *

When Luffy woke up, it was to the sound of weird cackling and wind. He'd never heard anything like it before. It was constant and getting louder and Luffy sat up in bed to look around, thinking Ace might have turned his tv on or something. Then the smell hit him, acrid like diesel and burning rubber or plastic. A quick glance around showed him nothing was different in his room; he was alone, the lights were off, it was dark.

He looked to his door, still wondering at the sound when a _crack_ joined in, like a firecracker going off. There was... something black around the door, moving. "Ace?" He asked. The drowsiness was leaving him quickly. 

Then came the scream. He couldn't recognize who it was, but it sounded pained and angry; a long wail that got drowned out by the white noise he heard and then he couldn't hear anything else. He scrambled to get out of bed, shoving his hat on and throwing the sheets onto the floor messily. He stepped up to the door but didn't touch it.

He learned things from Ace - even if his brother liked to say he was never listening. He knew the dangers that Ace was in when he went to work. Ace drilled things into his head one way or another and through pulling all the pieces together, the picture was becoming frighteningly clear.

The black seeping through the cracks of the door was smoke. His hand touched the wood and he could feel heat. The screams, the noise...

If this was a house fire - a _fire_ at the fire-station, then surely the people here were prepared. There were masks and suits downstairs and a whole truck just next door made for this purpose. He didn't even hear any alarms either and his blood went cold at the realization. The smoke definitely should have set things off, and he looked up, seeing the little round disk - Teach had just changed the batteries... didn't he?

Black smoke rolled in wisps along the ceiling, passing by the device that was supposed to detect it and doing nothing. Adrenaline in his veins spiked and his body was restless - what should he do?

He shouldn't be opening this door. His gaze darted to the sole window in the room. He was on the third floor but jumping down shouldn't be fatal, if he landed right and lessened the impact to his knees...

He wouldn't leave Ace.

There was shouting from down the hall, barely audible, and that seemed to have sealed his decision. The knob burned his hand, like he knew it would, but he jerked the door open and fell to the ground as the room sucked in the smoke and heat. The air hit his face like he walked into an oven. 

The difference between his room and the hallway, the difference between five feet high and two feet high was drastic - he got even lower to the ground in response, worried about the skyrocketing temperatures. It wasn't a surprise, but Luffy knew that at a certain degree, flames wouldn't be needed to set things ablaze. He didn't have a lot of time.

He took a breath and felt the sting in the back of his throat so sudden it was like he'd inhaled glass. His voice pushed through with a yell, as much in pain as a calling. "Ace!"

On hands and knees he crawled out of the room and into the hallway but he could see nothing. He was starting to doubt his plan of being able to find Ace and get out of there without asphyxiating first. The smoke was black enough to shield all light and his lungs burned.

He spared one hand in his crawl to pull his shirt up over his mouth and nose, but it didn't help much. He knew the living room was on the right...

There was more screaming; he could hear Izo he thought, but couldn't make out the words. He wanted to call out Ace's name again but was overwhelmed with a coughing fit.

It wasn't just hot. He was sweating with the heat and he didn't even see any flames, even the floor underneath him was burning - and it wasn't just smoke that smelled bad and could be avoided by staying low, it was the fumes. It was the fact that there was no oxygen.

Ace had told him that nowadays you had three to five minutes to escape a house fire. Everything, from the furniture to the drapes to the building materials in the walls, everything was made of petrol - made of oil - and it burned faster and hotter and created poisonous gasses.

It would reach the ceiling and spread over everything until it got so hot that a flash fire would light up everything else as it hit a combustible temperature. But generally people weren't alive that long to burn to death; they died of carbon monoxide first.

Three to five minutes. How long had it been?

"Ace," He coughed out, crawling further. Something latched onto him, jerking him close and he flailed to see through touch who it might be. Something was wrapped around him, a blanket that stifled him and pushed his hat awkwardly to hang around his neck. He tried to shake it off.

"Don't move!"

That was Ace! The blanket settled around his bare shoulders and he actually felt better for it. It was thick but the insulation was helping.

"Luffy, listen to me," Ace was saying. His brother was two feet in front of him and he could see nothing. He couldn't even breathe to reply back and ask him what the hell was going on, what do they do - "I want you to follow me. Stay low and follow me."

Ace was rough, his hand around Luffy's arm was bruising and he tugged Luffy with him, practically dragging him in his haste, and Luffy was awkwardly trying to keep up in his crawl. They went back, passed the room Luffy had been in and down the hall. He trusted Ace knew where to go so he just tried to get his coughing under control, even closing his eyes, because they hurt and tears were building up and he couldn't see anyway.

"Marco!" He heard Ace shout.

"Not that way," Was the reply. "The door's barred."

"Barred?"

"Someone's locked us in."

"Where's pops?" 

"He was on the other side, we can't get through the fire. We'd have to go around. Thatch tried to get us out of the window on the east side but he was shot."

"What the fu-"

"We'll have to try west."

Once again, Luffy was moved, scrambling down the hall, he bumped into what had to be Marco and Ace as they traveled back to his room where they started. It was significantly hotter now and the noise of fire was deafening but Luffy still couldn't see it. He felt like it was licking at his skin though.

He tried to speak but struggled to even breathe. He kept inhaling in little gasps but he wasn't getting any air and he kept coughing like it was going to clear anything up but all it did was cause him to inhale more smoke - smoke that almost felt like a physical thing, obstructing his throat.

At first he thought it was vertigo from crawling blindly, but then his limbs almost tripped him in an uncoordinated stumble and the ground tipped. Ace's grip kept him upright and his eyes opened like it would help but he was suddenly so dizzy he thought he was going to pass out.

Ace jerked him to a stop and hands moved across him, he stayed still as his brother felt around his face, something hard and plastic pulling at his hair as it settled over his nose and mouth. The strap of it dug into his ears.

He took a breath, it still hurt but his inhales were slightly easier now and in a way, he could feel the black edges around his vision fade away.

They stopped at his window but didn't open it as they discussed what to do, if they could see anyone outside and who would go first - Ace was coughing too now, he could barely hear his voice and he wanted to ask why they didn't open the window so they could breathe, Ace was suffocating! He should take his mask back...

But Luffy could only sway and listen to the conversation, arms giving in to his weight and he lowered his upper body to the floor. The room they were in had carpet and he could swear the fibers under his hands were melting. He couldn't feel his palms anymore, so maybe it was.

Whatever they had decided, it was done quickly. The window was thrown open and the addition of suction and new oxygen caused another heatwave. Marco was out first, but Luffy could no longer keep up, Ace was herding him closer.

He opened his eyes to look as the frame of the window dug into his sternum and through dry eyes, he could see Marco down below. The landing hadn't been the smoothest but he was able to stand no problem. He looked around the back yard for anyone but couldn't spend much time worrying about possible shooters.

"Drop him!"

Luffy had no idea what that could mean until Ace was flipping him around, pulling up until Luffy's back was out the window. He scrambled to hold onto the frame to either side. "Wait," He screamed and his voice didn't sound normal at all. It caught in his lungs and came out like gravel.

Ace looked like hell, soot and ash on his face and bare chest, streaks of tears that he couldn't control making paths on his cheeks. Luffy couldn't even see his freckles, his eyes were red, and his breathing harsh - hitching on every inhale. "Let go," he said.

His hands gripped the frame hard enough that his shaking was unnoticeable but Luffy's heart beat so fast, adrenaline giving his body the strength to hold himself up.

"It's alright, Luffy. Come on," And Ace smiled. It wobbled and had Luffy been able to joke about it, he'd laugh at the fact that Ace was trying to comfort him with a smile like that. But right now, it caused something inside Luffy to break.

Luffy had always been the crybaby, and even when he and Ace hadn't been brothers and Ace had been mean to him, his presence was always comforting. In the way someone who was never afraid of anything was. Aggressive enough to stand in front of the monsters with a metal pipe and a cocky smirk, even if he couldn't win. Even if he got beat up.

Luffy never saw him cry, not directly. He'd known that Ace did, when Sabo was hurt and they thought he'd died. But he hid it, and Luffy let him hide.

And even when he made fun of Luffy for being scared, it never changed the fact that he stood up and protected him. Back then when he was a kid, and now when he was grown. Luffy had thought things changed. He was older and he wasn’t afraid of things like he had been but he was wrong. Ace was always playing the role of protective big brother, even now, because it never went away; because Luffy was still scared...

"I love you, Loof." His words were sincere. "Don't be scared, come on."

Luffy hated the fact that his body was locked up like this, that he was scared of jumping out of a window when someone was down there to catch him. Like he hadn't done crazier shit. Ace would follow him and it would be fine. His fingers loosened, he took as deep a breath as he could, prepared himself-

The window frame to his right exploded. Wood chips flew and glass shattered and Ace's fist-full of his shirt saved him from tumbling as shards from both hit them. The blast was caused by a gunshot and Marco was screaming from below. It was a near miss; 6 inches from Luffy's head.

They didn't have the time and the next few seconds were a blur as several things happened at once.

First, Luffy was already hanging out of the window and Ace used the moment in which Luffy was reeling to shove him the rest of the way. Luffy could barely reach out in time to grab Ace's necklace, the red beads coming apart at the pull.

In the next second, another gunshot hit its mark, grazing right passed Luffy's ear and his fist, and striking Ace's chest, dead center. 

He wished he could say it was like the movies; that Luffy was in slow motion as he fell, that he could see his brother's face as the surprise and pain registered, but it wasn't.

Luffy didn't remember it like that.

One second he was at the window, the next he was on the ground, and the only thing he could see was the sky; no stars visible. His sight dimmed until there was no more. Until the sound of fire, screams, and sirens faded and so did he.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it's not a happy ending for the holidays! But this chapter was really fun to write and it flew out easily. These brothers have such a sweet bond, I wish there was more I could have stuffed in!


	8. Dusk - Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Law is tested.

Halfway through Law’s shift, somewhere around two am, he slumped into the plastic chair in the staff lounge with a paper cup of coffee. It was lukewarm, stale, and someone had used the last of his creamer in the fridge so he was drinking it straight black. It was a quick break in between patient rounds where he’d sit down and eat something. Usually that something would be from the vending machine or cafe - whatever was pre-made and needed nothing more than a microwave to make.

They hardly ever got time for a more substantial lunch, especially in the department he was in where patients in the intensive care units were so unstable. He couldn’t be gone for long and he didn’t want to leave the ward just in case. 

Just as he thought that, the work phone in his coat pocket vibrated against his thigh and he sat his coffee down, using his other hand to fish it out as he slumped down in his plastic chair some more.

> _2:36:32 AM - Not Yet Taken_
> 
> _Nurse Call: Pull Cord_
> 
> _Room 202 - Pending_

The phone vibrated a second time as he was reading the alert and refreshed to show one of the nurses reacting to the emergency. He hoped he wouldn’t need to be called to the scene. Room 202 held a patient just recovering from an abdominal surgery; if there was an emergency beyond the patient pulling the nurse call cord for a soda, then he would be needed for a scan to ensure nothing was damaged. 

He tried to finish his coffee and granola bar quickly while he maneuvered to the text messages. Although he’d hardly expect anyone to be awake at this hour (and those who would be are normally here at the hospital with him), Luffy had been texting him late into the night.

That guy…

Law didn’t know why he was encouraging all this. Slowly but surely his initial opinion of Luffy, impressed and astounded, had grown to include a sort of admiration and affection. The unpredictable idiot was so genuine and free, and it threw him for a loop that anyone would like Law in the first place, much less publicly announce it as he had been. Especially when Law had been trying to dissuade him. He just went on and decided that they should be friends and didn’t take no for an answer…

It was rude, inconsiderate, and something Law found annoying at first. Obviously, anyone who didn’t listen like that was bad news, but after the ice cream incident Luffy proved that he _did_ care. He was stubborn and insistent, but when he wanted to ‘hang out’ he wanted Law to enjoy himself too. So he asked instead of demanded, and if one choice didn’t work he always came back with three more.

And Law found that he liked that unshakable determination a lot, because he knew he was hard to get along with, and he liked to push people at first to test their limits. At first, he wanted to see how deep that innocent honesty went. He knew first hand that Straw-hat could get mad, but was he able to stand up to Law’s brand of sarcasm? What _would_ piss him off?

He was ridiculously pleased to find that Luffy could give back as much as Law could dish out. Luffy wasn’t always so restless and obnoxious either and obviously not so simple-minded. They had actual conversations at the lake and through messages now. He asked how Law became a doctor, why he decided to be one, and what the differences were between his skills and responsibilities and that of his friend’s Chopper’s. And Law found himself answering in greater detail - and trust - than he normally would.

_“I was able to go to school and support myself because I had.. Inherited a lot of money after my parents’ deaths. They were doctors too and they’d always told me I could be whatever I wanted to be._

_“I grew up seeing how they helped people and wanted to be like them._

_“Working my first surgical shift in the trauma ward, I held the heart of this little boy who had been shot in an accident. I helped his heart beat with my hands and when he lived, I felt like I had performed a miracle.”_

Typing these facts out was easier than speaking them aloud and he knew that if Luffy had asked him personally, he wouldn't have confided in him. Seeing them in the messaging box gave him chills later and he deleted the thread to erase them, but he didn’t regret it. Luffy had so honestly told him that he wanted to _know_ Law, and in return, Straw-hat gave him secrets of his own.

_“I think I’m too stupid to do anything else but boxing anyway._

_“The scar under my eye? I did that to myself actually. I wanted to prove to myself that I wasn’t afraid of anything like I was as a kid. Dumb right?_

_“I got arrested a lot by this officer named Smoker cause I’d steal a lot of food from stores. Back then, we actually needed it. He’d let me go sometimes cause he knew we were just trying not to starve.”_

They exchanged intimate details in between meaningless banter and it had been a little over a week since they started texting but Law was already coming to expect some random photo or silly event that happened to him during the day or a horrible pun whenever Law looked at his phone during break.

It was not just a curiosity anymore; Law certainly felt more for the man as Luffy’s messages changed tone to teasing and flirtatious. The doctor found himself reciprocating even, and it was the first time he’d made such an effort. 

In the past, people had admitted their interest in him and Law decided whether he’d give them a try or not. If he did, they jumped straight into dating. There was no in-between school-yard romance, will-they won’t-they. Law had found it childish and useless even when he was that age.

Luffy had said he didn’t have a crush; a lie most certainly with the way Luffy was acting. But Law was wondering if the man was just so innocent. The man hadn’t lied before, and Luffy seemed to know exactly what he wanted, always. And he always went after it, no hesitation. 

Law was beginning to see that this wasn’t always true though. Because Luffy didn’t seem to understand how his words could be taken and that confidence he exuded was offset by his sudden shyness when Law would bring it to light. 

So, he wasn’t confident in _everything_ and this entertained Law _greatly_. 

Straw-hat had been turning his world on its head for weeks, and now he felt like he was returning the favor. So, Law did what he hadn’t done before, and he teased. He teased about the flower photo, the ‘date’ that Luffy had been asking about, and used he used the words _cute_ and such.

And he imagined the fighter’s face in the last few moments at the lake; his cheeks were rosy with a blush extending to his ears and his dark eyes, always so intense, for the first time refusing to meet his. Now _that_ was cute, Law had to admit, and he was proud of himself to have gotten such a reaction from a man like Luffy.

Fuck, he was beginnign to look forward to the next time they’d meet, even if it was at an _arcade_ of all things. Speaking of, that reminded him that he needed to let the man know when he was free. He’d just gotten a look at the director’s proposed schedule for the doctors on rotation. 

As a surgeon, his shifts were often a lot longer; 16-20 hours a day on average. It was considered dangerous to trade patients off to doctors and nurses at 8 hour intervals like in other jobs, the chance of miscommunication has been known to cause medical errors. Most patients spend less than a day at the hospital, so a doctor’s shift could sometimes be a whole 24 hours. Law has had plenty of those, with little breaks here and there to nap on a stretcher in a hidden alcove. 

In trade off, while he would work two weeks or more at this grueling pace, he tended to get a week off at a time. One such opportunity looked to be coming up for him, so long as another of his colleagues doesn’t put in PTO. It wouldn’t be the first time his time off was shirked because of understaffing issues. 

In any case, he wanted to tell Straw-hat about it, figuring that even if the man were asleep by now, a text wouldn’t disturb him. His phone suddenly started to vibrate, alert ringtone loud and unmistakable, the hospital’s messaging system sending out a rapid response to an emergency situation. 

> _EXTERNAL TRIAGE - RESUS_
> 
> _House Fire - Gunshot_
> 
> _Adult - Multiple Casualties_
> 
> _ETA: 02:50 AM_

Law shoved his phone back into his lab pocket and stood, leaving his wrapper and paper cup on the table and storming out of the lounge. Down the hall, he found Penguin and Shachi walking quickly towards him. they would have received the call as well and already knew what to do. 

“Trauma rooms two and three,” Shachi said. 

They trekked to the hybrid OR emergency rooms off the ambulance entrance. Penguin filling him in on the communications he’d received from EMS. “Three gunshot victims, males, adult, one senior who already coded twice in transport. One adult with acute respiratory failure, several with smoke inhalation incoming. They’re calling in Kureha as well.”

The doctor nodded and stopped by the scrub sink to start preparing himself. Shachi went on ahead to begin organizing the room into the configuration with the right kit and equipment they’d need for the specific situation.

Bepo passed by and went out to the ambulance drop off to receive them. The first patient who came in was an old man, the one who had coded, and Law barely had any time to assess his injuries, two bullet wounds to his chest, before he was spiralling down into another flatline. The were doing CPR but Law could already tell it was a lost cause. His lungs had collapsed and they couldn’t intervene fast enough; he was hanging on by a thin thread that snapped as soon as the doctor tried to relieve the pressure.

The next gunshot patient was dead upon arrival, a younger man who was shot in the chest, nicked artery causing bleed-out.

Law waited by the door for the next, troubled by his two failures but determined to save the next. He was switching out his gloves for new ones when the stretcher was brought in and rolled down the hallway. Something was different about this one though; Bepo’s tearful face was the first indicator. 

The man tried to get himself under control to state a report. “R-respiratory failure, smoke inhalation, signs of carbon monoxide poisoning…” 

The doctor stepped up to look, noticing the oxygen mask in place - good - the intravenous drip in his arm. He was covered in soot, streaks down his cheeks, his hands were burned, his breathing was audible and Law was already listing out steps to proceed with treatment. He didn’t know what got to Bepo so suddenly, the man was unrecognizable underneath all the dirt. Maybe if the scar under his eye was more visible or his mouth was uncovered to offer up a grin, he would.

But the hat holding on by a string caught his eye.

Not many people he knew wore straw hats.

It was dark, covered in black dirt and smelling of smoke like the rest of him, and Law was surprised that it had survived a fire like it had. His heart skipped a beat at its presence and his eyes started to look closer, darting around the man’s face. 

Luffy’s dark eyelashes brushed his cheeks and Law watched the man’s eyes open into slits. He was not all there, staring up at the lights, but he was conscious and Law was ordering the others to put him to sleep. Receiving pain relief in transport was the norm, but anaesthesia was typically left for the hospital staff so it wasn’t uncommon for those without immediately fatal injuries to be awake. 

Those dark eyes were framed in red, bloodshot and dry, but they turned to Law slowly. He looked at the dilation of the pupils, checking for a concussion and felt slightly better at the fact that Luffy was aware enough to react to stimuli. Still, he wanted to place the man under so he could begin treatment. Penguin was already administering the drug through the IV.

“‘S.” Law glanced down at Luffy, watching the lips move under the mask. “‘Ce.” He couldn’t get his vocal cords to work, mostly likely too swollen to work properly. But the doctor watched as the man’s stubborn attitude lit up in his eyes. “Save Ace.” 

The words were hardly audible or understandable, but Law got it. He didn’t know what he could say to that though, refusing to look away from Luffy’s face, he couldn’t see the two corpses in the same room along the wall, prone and going cold on the stretchers.

Was the young one Ace?

“Torao,” The vowels must hurt, and Luffy gave him a nickname that had nothing but. “You can. Save him.”

Law’s breathing was getting faster as Luffy’s was slowing. The drug was hitting his system and in a few seconds, those eyes closed again and Shachi was giving out readings of blood levels; oxygen and carbon dioxide content and blood pressure.

He swallowed thickly, and did what he did best, even if it was on autopilot. He commanded the others to make room and gather the necessary equipment, and began intubating him. He removed the mask to check the airways, finding evidence of upper respiratory burns and with the amount of particle debris he was seeing, he worried about the state of the man’s lungs.

Bepo interrupted him with yet another patient off the ambulance. “Adult male, gunshot to the chest, smoke inhalation, cardiopulmonary arrest.”

As a trauma surgeon, there was a code of conduct in which priority over the patients went by fatal injuries vs chances of survival. Just because a patient came in with a worse injury, didn’t always mean they were treated first; low chances of survival had to be taken into consideration. This man was shot in the chest, center mass, right below the manubrium where the heart was. 

Depending on if the bullet was a full metal jacket and built to pass through without expansion, then it might be feasible that the heart was more easily repaired; a small clean hole. But if it was a hollow point, built to split upon impact, then the bone could be in shards causing massive damage.

Luffy was going to be stable enough for the time being. The tube down his throat would keep him breathing, even when his airways swelled. The IV would give him the fluids he needed and if he developed lower respiratory issues, which Law figured he would, they’d cross that bridge when they got to it. They’d have time.

The other one didn’t, and even if this were Ace or not, he had to try.

Law breathed, brought himself to focus, and prepared himself to do whatever it took to keep this man alive. Penguin and Shachi were both so attuned to him that he didn’t need to tell them what to do. He made his first cut after they sterilized the entire area and when they got to the breastbone, fractured into pieces, Law knew that it was going to be a long operation.

In the sixth hour, he’d finished picking out all the bone pieces and repairing the left ventricle, in the eighth, he’d dug out the slag of what was left of the bullet, and was patching the tear in the heart lining. In the tenth hour he replaced the man’s damaged valve with a mechanical one, turning off the pump that was doing the beating of the heart for him, and ensured the organ was working on its own. And by the twelth, the chest cavity was closed, the eight-inch long surgical cut sutured and dressed.

At this point, if the man could hold out for the next 48 hours, Law would say he’s going to live. There was nothing more he could do at this moment though and he was wheeled out to the ICU for recovery and close observation. 

It was as he made his rounds over the others who had been brought in, most already seen by Dr Kureha, that he learned of the exact circumstances behind the tragedy and the names of those in his care.

Whitebeard, the senior fire chief, deceased.

Thatch, the commander of division four, deceased.

Portgas D. Ace, commander of division two in critical condition.

Monkey D. Luffy, in critical condition.

There was a list of people here. Some clear to be discharged soon, some being sent to other hospitals for services or out of request. 

Law settled into a padded guest chair, only slightly more comfortable than the plastic ones in the lounge. His feet were aching, even though he should be used to standing and walking for hours upon hours. His eyes were dry and the lids weighted. Bepo had forced another granola bar into his mouth and told him he could go home but he couldn’t bring himself to leave. Kureha and other doctors had been called in for the emergency so they weren’t understaffed dealing with all the new patients. If he wanted, he could keep his phone on him and head home to get some real rest, in a real bed. 

He wouldn’t get any real sleep though. 

The cloying smell of smoke always reminded him of Flevance and with the knowledge of these siblings and their close brush with death he knew he would dream of Lami. He’d rather stay in the ward and fall asleep within range in case there was a call. 

Rather be here, where Luffy would wake up and be the first to know about Ace’s struggle to live in the other room. Where he could check Luffy’s vital signs to ensure he was getting the proper amount of oxygen, see to it that the second degree burns on his hands were dressed, that his concussion wasn’t something more. 

Law was watching for fluid build-up in his lungs, concerned about the internal damage and the future repercussions. Both brothers would have a long recovery ahead of them, he just hoped that they would…

Carefully, Law took the straw-hat from its place on the bedside table. A dusting of soot covered it and Law found himself getting a damp cloth to clean with. He went around the edges, tried to get into the crevices, rubbed at the red ribbon that was dull and frayed. It looked a lot better when he was done but the smell of smoke would cling to it for a long while yet. 

He set it back in place reverently, knowing how important it was and saddened at its state. Then his eyes turned to the man on the bed. He was changed into a hospital gown, a thin blanket up to his chest, arms on top and prodded with needles taped in place. The intubation tube kept his mouth open and supplied the right levels of oxygen directly to the lungs; he wouldn’t have been able to breathe without it. After careful cleansing, they found the esophagus to be burned and irritated by the heat and particulate matter the man breathed in.

Luffy shouldn’t look like this, Law thought. Such an energetic man shouldn’t be so still. 

The damp cloth he still held came up to wipe at the man’s temple. He felt strange doing it, like it was such an intimate gesture that wasn’t normal for him, but he was annoyed at the dirt still maring Luffy’s face. He wanted to order a nurse to clean him up better, wash his hair of all the disgusting debris greasing the strands.

His hand jerked back as he registered movement and his breath held as Luffy’s eyes slowly opened. It took a few moments for those eyes to make sense of things. Surely the smooth patient room ceiling with its bright exam lights were different, the smell of antiseptic, the feeling of the firm bed below and soft but threadbare sheets above. Law standing over him with whatever serious face he had on.

Straw-hat shouldn’t be feeling anything, as he was on some pretty heavy pain killers and muscle relaxers in order for him to remain comfortable. As comfortable as one would be able to get with an invasive tube down their throat.

The drugs were working Law could tell, as it took awhile for Luffy to remember where he was and what had happened, and when the awareness lit up his eyes, he still couldn’t react beyond a shuffling of his arms and legs. Law told him to stay down, even though Luffy didn’t have the energy to sit up.

“Don’t speak, and try to breath normally.”

He should have known Luffy was too stubborn to listen to doctor’s orders. The man was still struggling to sit up, his mouth trying to move around the tube, his breathing was speeding up. Tears welled up in his eyes and his fists clenched in the sheets.

Law knew what a panic attack looked like and his tone changed as he tried a new tactic. “Your brother is alive.”

Luffy’s eyes locked onto his. Bloodshot and full of tears that streamed down his cheeks. Law sat on the edge of the bed and used his palm against Luffy’s shoulder to guide him back down. “He’s in ICU nearby. Once he’s passed this first stage of recovery after surgery I’ll put you two in a room together. It’s barely been sixteen hours since you’ve been brought in, you both need rest, so you can’t disturb him right now. You might as well relax and try to heal so you can go see him later.”

He could feel the man relax into the bed, but his crying didn’t stop, and the little sounds from his torn throat was heartbreaking. Law kept contact with his hand but looked down at the sterile floor below, feeling like he shouldn’t be watching such a strong man fall apart like this. Without knowing what else to say and knowing how bad he was at comforting someone, he fell back on what he _could_ do, and began a report. 

He spoke about the situation first. “Police are looking for the arsonist. They turned off all the security devices in the station, blocked all escape paths, removed safety gear from the immediate area, and set fire in multiple places. Then he sat outside and used a rifle to shoot anyone he found trying to escape the fire. There were many casualties.”

Taking his phone out of his pocket, he brought up charting information. He’d get in trouble for showing it without paperwork involved, but he knew Luffy was on the emergency contact list and he had a feeling that Luffy would be the decision maker in these medical matters on behalf of his brother. Penguin had checked and was currently notifying individuals of all the patients. 

Pretty soon, the ward would be full of visitors, and he had no doubt that Luffy would be receiving a lot. But with Ace’s precarious health, Law had declined to allow any access to him outside of medical staff.

“Look,” He showed his phone to Luffy. It displayed black and white photos taken by imaging equipment. He didn’t expect Luffy to understand what it meant so he pointed things out. “Your brother had significant damage to the heart, from the bullet that passed through here, and bone that had broken and pierced the heart and lungs here and here.” 

One of Luffy’s hands came up to hold the device, wire and tubes trailing along. His cheeks were still wet and his breathing unsteady, but his eyes were clearer. Law continued, feeling like he was rambling, but Luffy was looking desperately at the pictures. Maybe the knowledge would put him to ease. Maybe, since Luffy couldn’t speak himself, Law doing it for him filled the silence with more than despair and dread. 

“I had to replace this part, a valve here, with a mechanical device that will help the heart pass blood. For the next few days, we’ll monitor him closely. I’ll be here and ready in case anything goes wrong. I don’t expect it will, your brother is strong and even in the little time he’s had, his vitals are getting stronger.” 

Without the ability to make much expression, Law had only the eyes to read. They closed slowly, tears finally drying, and reopened to show warm dark chocolate. Even though Luffy’s hand had come up for the phone, Law hadn’t let go of it, knowing his grip would most likely not be strong enough to hold. That hand now dropped to Law’s fingers, warm digits curling around his palm.

They squeezed, and even if it didn’t have much power, Law got the gist of what Luffy was trying to convey. It made him feel a little awkward, as Law had never been thanked in such a way. A few family members of patients had given him heartfelt gratitude and gifts for saving their loved ones, and patients themselves had shown their appreciation. But it was professional and distant.

Luffy had gotten close. He supposed hand holding in this situation was within the realm of reason. That didn’t mean Law knew what to do with that. He cleared his throat, put his phone away and continued thinking logically, not with the emotions that were taking place in his chest. “You need to rest. Smoke inhalation is no little matter and for your throat to heal, you need to stop trying to use it. The tube will be removed after we can be sure the swelling won’t endanger your airways.”

He stood up, his hand twisting to return the brush against his palm, fleetingly, before retreating. “So, go to sleep. The drugs should help. And I’ll be around.” 

At the door, he couldn’t stop himself from looking back, catching Luffy’s eyes as they closed. He still looked battered, hurt, broken, but his body was more relaxed and as he drifted away, Law hoped he’d been able to help.

* * *

Two days went by, with Law making the bare minimum trips home to shower, eat a real meal, and sleep for a couple of hours. He’d return to the ICU and check on Ace first. The man really was going to pull through and Law was confident that he’d recover. 

He remained in isolation, to ensure he wasn’t disturbed and lower the risk of infection. He still slept, but there were little moments in which they registered activity. Law wanted him deep under to keep the man from reopening the delicate surgical wounds, but soon enough he’d give the order to lower the dosage.

There were a few other patients under his care, and he saw them first before heading to straw hat’s room, where he would spend more time than needed. The intubation tube had been removed and his throat was watched carefully for any complications. The idiot liked to push the limits in trying to talk and he was complaining about the lack of solid food in his diet. 

More often than not there was a guest. Quite a few of them came by, taking turns to keep the 3-guest limit in the patient rooms. 

Nami, a redheaded woman was one he saw frequently, along with a man who had dyed his hair green - Zoro he knew from Luffy’s chats about his gym workouts. Then there was Chopper, the doctor he’d heard about, and the last time he’d visited they spent a long time discussing Luffy’s injuries and what could be done. And Robin, who honestly, seemed more concerned about Law. 

She had complete faith in Luffy and his inevitable recovery (and hearing that made Luffy grin) but Law had looked tired and sad, she said. “Don’t worry, he’s bounced back from worse.”

Luffy nodded enthusiastically to show his agreement and Law had rolled his eyes. “Not worried.”

And yet her words did give him a modicum of comfort. Because he still felt pretty useless and awkward when the visitors were gone and Luffy was alone in silence and would cry. That’s when Law would come by, giving him an update on Ace’s condition, telling him about the others from the station and how they were doing.

That’s what he was there for now. The time for guests was ending and the latest visitor, Nami again, was packing up her things to head out. She greeted Law as he came in. “Dr. Torao.”

It really kind of irked him. 

“I told him about forfeiting his two upcoming matches.” She said. And the atmosphere grew solemn. “So… I don’t think he’s feeling too good right now.” She looked down at the floor. She sniffled and Law stepped aside to let her by.

He looked to Luffy as the door shut, seeing the man sitting up in his bed, a tray in front of him with ice cream melting in its bowl as he stared out the window. His expression was frighteningly blank and for the first time since he’d known the man, Law was ignored as he sat down in the vacated chair. 

“You’re already recovering quicker than expected,” Law said quietly. “I think within a couple of months you’ll be back to the gym doing… whatever. I know it doesn’t feel like it right now, but your lung capacity will improve.”

Luffy’s fists curled into the blankets and as if he was proving his point, his breath wheezed in his chest as he inhaled, barely a gasp before it stuttered, the exhale sharp and loud in a way it shouldn’t be either. The fighter still faced away from him, ignoring him, and Law didn’t like it - he’d never done that before and it made him feel like shit.

So he picked up the straw hat from the table and shoved it into the man’s face. It surprised Luffy, he jumped back, the cannula crossing his face under his nose and supplying oxygen to help his breathing shifted out of place. “Stop that,” He growled. “You’re alive. You have the chance to recover. You _will_ eventually go back to fighting and fulfill your dreams. I can’t guarantee your brother can do the same. So quit acting like it’s all over.”

Luffy held his hat in his hands, nodding as he looked at it in his lap. His eyes were wet, and his lips trembled but he didn’t break down this time. Instead he whispered, “Sorry… Than’s.”

Law sighed, leaning back again. “Besides, I have news that can cheer you up. I’m moving you and your brother into a new room, double bed, so you’ll get to see him. It’ll limit your guests to one at a time, since I don’t want things to get too loud; he’s still in a very delicate situation. But soon enough he’ll be waking up. I’m sure the first person he’ll want to see is you.”

When he looked, Luffy was giving him a big smile. “When?” He asked. And Law grimaced at the way it sounded. 

“Tomorrow. Quit talking.”

“What about... the inves’igation?”

The doctor glared. “They haven’t found Teach yet.”

“Other guy?”

“What?” Law mentally cursed himself for asking a question that encouraged a reply.

“Another guy. Marine. With a hat.”

That caught his attention. Law’s eyes narrowed and his body tensed. Maybe he was biased and he shouldn’t jump to the worst conclusions, his hatred of marines colored his perception, but he wanted to be sure. “You mean there was someone else there that you think could have been an accomplice? A marine?”

Luffy nodded, concerned. “‘e was big, wore the whi’e uniform. Smo’ed a cigar. He was outside the house before we went to bed. And they said marines had been botherin’ the chief.”

Now that was a new piece of information. Law stood up, knowing he should call the police to update them. The description Luffy gave was vague but it might help them and the knowledge that there was a new suspect was vital. 

“T’rao?”

“We need to let them know.”

Luffy nodded but looked like he wanted to say more. A loud ruckus from the corridor distracted him though. Law frowned, wondering who would be so loud in the hospital and what the nurses were doing about it. He opened the heavy door to the patient's room, the sound of arguing much louder without the barrier. Leaning out he could see a crowd forming at the end of the hall’s entrance to the ward. 

Bepo was at the front, arms out and a rare glare on his face. “I’m sorry, but you cannot come through here. It is restricted access only. No visitors are allowed.”

The man’s quiet voice was drowned out by the others arguing to get by and Law’s eyes widened at the sight of professional video equipment and microphones. They should all know better than to bring that here; video recording and picture were a breach of medical confidentiality! He stormed down the hall to get closer, and his glare was a lot more intimidating than Bepo’s.

“Get out before I call security.”

“Are you the doctor who treated Gol D Ace?”

The name threw him off; last time he’d checked it was Portgas, but it didn’t matter, he’d already pressed the button on his phone to call for the authorities. 

“Were you aware of his lineage at the time-”

“- Did he bribe you with money to save his life-”

“Can you tell us-”

Law didn’t know what they were going on about, he didn’t care, he hated being the center of attention and he hated news reporters. When he’d been on the streets, barely a week passed the destruction of Flevance, he’d seen broadcastings of the tragedy. Recordings of the military shooting civilians armed only with hand weapons, trying to escape the quarantine zone where they were forced to stay sick and die. The news made them out to be heroes for slaughtering people just trying to survive. 

There were videos of people screaming on their deathbeds while a narrator distantly spoke about the plague that could be coming for them next. How the reporter was so brave to have visited a hospital where a patient was dying of White Amber Disease, all to shove a camera in their face and ask them questions about how they felt and whether their family was also sick. Whether their family had also _died_ \- parents, spouses, siblings.

Law has had vivid nightmares of what would happen if they decided to come after him. It’s not that his birthplace was a huge secret, but nobody knew he’d actually had the ‘plague’ and had escaped Flevance during the disaster. 

Many people had in fact, he wasn’t the only survivor; it would have been quite a feat to have completely eradicated a ‘disease’ that they claimed could have wiped out the world. But it wasn’t a disease, and people thought it was a miracle that once an infected patient was removed from the country, they recovered from their sickness - attributed to the wonders of medicinal improvements.

It made him sick sometimes to think people were so deceived, that even with all the evidence out there, they turned a blind eye to it. That they built themselves up from others suffering.

So it didn’t matter what these people wanted from Portgas D. Ace. The man was in critical care, just out of immediate danger. He’d lost many of his firefighting crew, who he had come to know were more like family. He may never be able to work in his field of service again.

And these people were talking about _money_.

A cold rage like he used to feel as a teenager coursed through his veins and when the next camera was shoved into his face, he snapped. With one hand he covered the lens, jerking it away and pulling it out of the reporter’s hands, it fell to the floor - possibly thousands of dollars of damage. The newscaster didn’t get the chance to complain, because Law was using his other hand to punch him in the face.

The crowd hushed, the man fell back into the others, holding his bleeding nose. And Law could finally be heard. “Video and audio recording equipment is not allowed in this ward. Beyond that, you must be on the guest registry to visit a patient, and beyond _that_ , Portgas D. Ace is not allowed any visitors until I decide otherwise.” His voice was menacing and he could tell that the people in front of him were getting the message. “Security has been called and if any of you can leave the premises in time, you won’t be fined, the penalty for breaking the facility rules are quite high.”

They scrambled to gather their things and leave. The unfortunate reporter who felt Law’s wrath was quicker than the others, scooping his damaged equipment up and running for the elevators. Law was reminded of the banquet and the memory of Luffy’s words complimenting him for his violence cooled his anger. 

He was going to get in trouble for that. He couldn’t bring himself to care. 

Bepo who had remained beside him sighed in relief. “I’m sorry I couldn’t stop them…”

The doctor tried to comfort him, squeezing the man’s shoulder. “It’s alright Bepo. Call the police; I want a guard here at all times for the remainder of Ace’s stay, and there is a new development to their investigation they need to know about.”

He stuck around to make sure the officers got their statement from Luffy, and ensured the idiot wrote things down instead of spoke. They worked out a schedule for a guard rotation, full time, and had a staff meeting so that everyone understood the circumstances around their patients.

And Law moved Luffy and Ace into a single patient room where Straw-hat could see for himself that his sibling was alive. It was an emotional moment and Law saw Luffy holding his brother’s hand tightly, crying, before he shut the door and gave them their privacy.

Afterwards, as Law returned to the staff lounge for another cup of stale coffee without creamer, he turned on the television to see what the big deal was. Law’s name was slandered, which was expected, but what _was_ surprising was the link between Portgas D. Ace and the famous criminal Gol D. Rodger. The man who had absconded with millions of dollars stolen from a government cache, marines specifically, and Law laughed.

Then the news said Ace’s involvement in the fire department was a ruse, that the man was obviously just like his father and was planning to rob them blind, but this catastrophic accident brought his plan to light. Some claimed that Teach was innocent, Ace had obviously committed the crime and framed the man. Some said that this disaster was karma for he and his father’s misdeeds.

All agreed that Ace was a monster, just like Rodger, and whether or not he was in the hospital for grevious wounds or not, he should be put on trial. Because Rodger’s money had never been found, even after the man’s death. So Ace, his only living heir, must know where it was.

It was fucked up. 

None of that mattered and none of it was true. Law may have never met the man (unless you call cutting him open and holding his beating heart in your hands ‘meeting’ them) but he knew Luffy’s brother, whom the Straw-hat loved and cared so much for, couldn’t be a monster. 

And Law knew monsters.

He turned the TV off with disgust and tried not to think about those monsters he knew. Big ones wearing white uniforms, baseball caps, and who smoked cigars. A man named Akainu who Law could certainly see burning down a house full of innocent people for some reason he could justify. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enjoy! Hope I didn't leave ya'll on a cliffhanger for too long! 
> 
> There was a year-end sale on games and I got One Piece: World Seeker because of the DLC Law is in... I'm so excited! All I know is that there is an annoying kid that Law is gonna repeatedly save and then that kid is gonna love him and Law is gonna pretend to not love him back and fail and it's already giving me feelings.


	9. Dusk - Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Making a choice.

Luffy wanted to stay awake for longer. Ever since the fire he'd managed a few hours here and there to talk to his friends, but most of the time he felt bad for falling asleep on them. They said they didn't mind, he needed the rest, but Luffy hated worrying them. And he never wanted to miss Torao when he came around. 

The doctor was busy but he took the time to check up on him frequently enough, mostly when visiting hours were over - he supposed Torao didn't like a room full of people he hardly knew and vowed to change that so they'd feel more comfortable around each other. He tried to keep his mind busy with thinking of how. 

In general though, he slept. Which everyone said was a good thing. The medicine made him feel drowsy and despite the rejuvenation and determination he had when he woke up, that energy began to flag astoundingly fast. Penguin had said it was common in patients who couldn't take full breaths, the oxygen levels throughout his body were lower than normal.

He usually said this with a smirk and told him to stop taking the nose cannula thing off his face. It felt weird though! The little tube wrapped around his ears was irritating and it tickled his nose.

Law was a lot less nice about it and threatened to put a tube back down his throat so he made sure it was on for when he came around...

On the other hand, he figured he should be thankful to have slept so much, because otherwise it was just so boring. He could feel himself getting stronger, but every time he swallowed it hurt, and his voice was hoarse, every word scraping against his throat to be heard. 

So now he was only able to eat liquid foods, not able to talk, still confined to bed because of all the IVs in his arm, and all that was left for him to do was stare at the ceiling, stare at the window - and after Ace and him were together, stare at his brother.

It was disturbing. Ace was buried under tubes and had a mask on and his chest was wrapped thoroughly but Luffy saw what it hid when the nurses changed his bandages. His brother hadn't woken up yet, even though Torao said it was a matter of time. He'd seen movement of the man's fingers and registered the soft rise and fall of his chest that proved he was breathing and all the medical equipment _beeped_ and _booped_ like it was supposed to. 

But everything else was so quiet and when the visitors were gone and Luffy was wake and by himself, he kind of went out of his head. He kept replaying the night of the accident over and over again. 

Was there any sign that Teach displayed that could have warned them? What would have happened if he pointed out the marine he'd seen across the street? It was definitely shady and it should have raised more alarm that someone was just outside at 2 am, staring at them, Luffy should have said something.

If Luffy hadn't been such a coward and had just jumped out of that stupid fucking window then would Ace have been shot?

He thought about that most of all.

The police had come to talk to him, a full investigation team that grilled him on every second of the day's events, and he tried to give them everything he could remember. Turns out, nobody else had seen the marine, nobody knew the names of the marines that had been bothering the chief according to Thatch... and Thatch couldn't give them that information because he was dead.

Thatch...

So, that avenue of the investigation hit a dead end. After all that, they had started to look at him like he was a liar. Why would a marine burn down a fire station? What would a marine be doing standing outside at 2 am staring at the house ominously?

Well, Luffy would like to know the answer to that very same damn question! Wasn't that the point?! He knows it doesn't make the most sense, but he didn't make anything up, he'd _seen_ a marine, he knew it. His hat had the insignia on it, Thatch had _said_ -

It all went in a loop.

Luffy's story was attributed to his concussion or shock or whatever... and it made him so angry! He had all these overwhelming emotions inside of him and struggled to find ways of releasing them. He cried unashamedly but it wasn't enough, he tried to talk about it but it hurt, he wanted to punch something but he couldn't.

Eventually, he'd start to feel like he was drowning. Sometimes he'd lay there gasping, crying so hard his whole body shook as it washed over him in waves and he was helpless until the tide receded. 

Sometimes Torao was there to distract him and he'd listen to the doctor speak, not even understanding the words sometimes. He'd feel the waves in the back of his mind but wasn't afraid to breath it in and drown. That deep voice was like a siren's. It meant even more to him considering Law wasn't the type to just talk for the sake of it. He just seemed to know that it was what Luffy needed. 

Luffy told him about these episodes, thinking that a doctor like Torao would be able to fix it. But Law had only looked away with soft eyes and said, _"It's not a sickness in that way. They can be managed if they're chronic. Usually the frequency of them will pass until, hopefully, you'll not have one again. Sometimes, they never go away, and you learn to live with them."_

_"How do you know?"_

But Luffy never got an answer. Or more like, the lack of answer was answer enough.

Still, he found a bit of solas in Torao's presence at those times and if he was able to, he'd smile as the doctor rambled about organs and stuff Luffy barely understood but was curious enough to ask about. They talked about Ace's operation, what he'd seen and fixed, what would happen now that part of his heart was no longer organic. 

It freaked him out that Ace had been so close to dying, but the fact that Torao was able to save him was amazing. Behind the bad bedside manners, Law was kind; doing more than what was necessary and going beyond what the doctor's oath required. He'd given Luffy a book that was simple enough for him to understand so he could learn more about Ace's recovery.

If Luffy asked a question that he didn't know the exact details of, he found out, and Luffy wondered how much time he spent at the library or research center to look things up. 

Obviously, not a lot of people appreciated him in the same way. The nurses talked - gossiped like hens - and Luffy had barely been there 3 days yet he'd heard a lot.

_"He's so hot."_

_"Shh! He'll grill you alive!"_

_"I heard he got those tattoos in prison."_

_"Didn't you know? He's from Flevance."_

_"Do you think he's ever had it? The White sickness?"_

_"Think about the money though."_

_"Forget it, I heard he was gay."_

They really didn't know a thing about him, Luffy thought, and they worked here! It made him sad and angry that Law was thought of so shallowly. Torao was so much more than that - he was pretty but he was also so smart, he was a brat but he wasn't cruel, he had money but he also worked way too much. What did it matter where he was from? That just meant that he lost a lot.

His parents, his little sister...

It also meant that Torao was strong to have survived and even thrive after it; and that helped Luffy hold himself up a little bit higher too.

He acknowledged that Torao wasn't perfect; he was pretty anti-social and his defenses against people he didn't know and trust were sharp. He was difficult, and picky, and suspicious towards everyone who wasn't part of his family. Luffy had a hard time keeping his spirits up and continuing to try at first to befriend the man. 

The ice cream incident made him rethink his approach; he'd pushed too hard, too fast, and when he saw how Law reacted under that pressure, locking himself down even more instead of opening up, Luffy understood what he needed to do.

Torao was the type of person who needed time. After all, he'd known Bepo, Penguin, and Shachi for a decade or so; he couldn't expect to get that close in the _weeks_ they'd known each other. The doctor also needed convincing, in a way. Luffy had to convince him he was trust-worthy and that his intentions were purely innocent.

He really wondered what made Torao that way. Who had lied to him so badly that he couldn't trust simple kindness? It's like he thought everything was a trap and people couldn't possibly like him for who he was when it was obvious he could be and _was_ loved. 

Why _wouldn't_ people love him when he was so loyal? Seeing how he cared for the others drove that point home.

Despite his aversion to touch, Bepo received lots of little touches and reassuring pats and when they sat next to each other their shoulders brushed or Law would straight-up lean against him like he was going to nap. He didn't do that with the others and Bepo was always happy for it.

Shachi was by far the most social and emotional of the lot and Luffy had seen the amount of patience in the doctor's eyes when Shachi would go on about something. He’d snapped at people for being stupid or sappy for less, but not Shachi. Or when the man was upset and Law dropped everything to cheer him up in little ways. Torao didn't generally have much patience, but for Shachi, he had all the time in the world. 

For Penguin, it was hard to tell, but eventually Luffy realized that Torao gave him control over many things. While Law may have been the most responsible out of them, he didn't take as much care upon himself. Penguin was often the one to make sure he ate and told him to go to sleep when Law was passing his limits, and Law _would_. Because he trusted Penguin to take care of the others in his stead and that trust was earned and respected.

Clearly, Torao would do a lot for his family. 

But he went to great lengths for complete strangers too. 

In a more recent example: all the news reporters that had been yelling outside the windows and trying to get into the building - all to get a glimpse of Ace - had been scared away.

Apparently Torao had broken some guys nose and made a point that they weren't welcomed there and that none of them would be getting any information on his brother. Luffy wished he could have seen that.

But the next time he saw Torao, he gave him a huge hug. 

Leaning forward to catch him by surprise and wrapping around his middle, face level with his chest. Pens in the white coat pocket pressed against his forehead and the stethoscope he wore around his neck was cold at his cheek. It was perfect though; Law was lean and warm.

"Than' you for punchin' that guy in the face yesterday!"

"What?" The doctor squirmed, his arms locked against his sides by Luffy's embrace. "Let go!"

Luffy huffed, squeezed once, and did as he was told. His cheeks were warm and he could still feel Law's body heat where they had touched. His clothes smelled like a laundry detergent Luffy had never used and there was a faint scent of body wash with a masculine cologne-like tang. "Sorry, I heard you hit that guy from the news. It would have been bad if they got to Ace. Than's."

Torao rolled his eyes. "You have to stop thanking me for punching people."

"Never!" He'd said that a little too loud and winced. It was getting better, but vowels and letters that vocalized from the back of his throat still hurt. He had trouble with the ' _ka_ ' and ' _ngh_ ' sounds most of all.

On the TV in the background, the news went on a loop. The front of the hospital was shown and the caster talked about being unfairly banned from stepping foot inside the building thanks to a shrewd Dr. Trafalgar and Law sighed. The remote was taken from Luffy's lax hand and the television was turned off. "Don't watch that trash if it's just going to upset you."

Luffy scowled. "Not much e'se to do." He muttered.

"I know." He replied, and Luffy felt guilty for complaining. "Unfortunately, even when I clear you, you won't leave without Ace. So there's not much to do about that. Read, play video games, don't just push every button on your bed controller..."

"Yeah... sorry, I didn't know it would 'all a bunch of people."

"You just hope you get Bepo so you can convince him to give you solid foods."

"It hasn't happened yet, but I’m not givin’ up!"

From the bedside table, Luffy's phone started to vibrate multiple times alerting him of incoming text messages, but the fighter didn't move to pick it up, just sighed. He hoped Torao wouldn't ask about it but the man just sat in the guest chair, crossed his legs, and looked at him with a raised eyebrow.

He had that _look_ down, only Nami would have been able to do better, and he didn't ask but Luffy found himself opening his mouth anyway. "It's just Sabo. We tal'ed on the phone for a while, but it hurt. So now he messages me every ten minutes for an update. I... got tired of tellin' him nothings changed."

"Where is he?"

"A plane. He was in Dressroba or something."

"Dressrossa."

Luffy nodded. "You know it?"

"Been there before. It's not far from... Flevance."

"There's a big time difference. And he got on the first plane but it's several hours and two layovers." Luffy continued and Torao hummed.

"Hopefully, by the time he gets here there will be a difference. But you should tell him so he knows nothing has gone downhill. No news can be worse."

He knew Torao was right, but there was also the fact that Sabo wanted to know the details of what happened, naturally, and Luffy didn't know how to phrase it without the words "my fault" in the sentence. He looked at his brother; pale complexion when he was usually so tan, and felt the familiar sting of tears again. 

"I wish it was me."

He didn't mean to say it aloud, he could imagine what others would say if they heard; they'd disagree, try to comfort him, make a big deal about how fatalistic he was being, that he shouldn't think those things...

Torao just said, "Yeah." 

It threw Luffy off and he looked back with wide eyes as Law shrugged, like it wasn't a big deal. His eyes on the floor stated differently though. "I wish I could have traded places with Lami too. I would give anything to have burned in that place instead of her."

It was a dark outlook, and Luffy was coming to expect that Torao wasn't a very optimistic person, but it was an intimate thought that Luffy could understand; a dark cloying opinion that burned Luffy from the inside.

"I didn't protect her. There were so many things I should have done differently and I've gone through them all. If I did this, or changed that..." Luffy's lungs stuttered and he left a bit light-headed. He'd been breathing faster, feeling like Torao was pulling words right out of his head. "If I had the chance to trade places with her, I'd take it in a heartbeat, and I wouldn't regret it."

Luffy nodded, his chest tight.

"And for that reason, I don't think your brother would regret it either." 

He didn't expect that part and he froze in place, looking at the man with wide eyes. Torao had been thinking these things, the same things Luffy had been, for a lot longer. He'd replayed the same scene in his mind over and over again, wishing it was different, thinking _it would have been better if it were me_.

“He wouldn’t want you to switch places with him, would he?”

If it had been possible for Luffy, he'd be fine with it - deserved it even - but wouldn't Ace disagree? 

Ace was a good big brother, always protecting his younger siblings, even when he shouldn't have had to. He took pride in that. He held his superiority (he was the eldest, even if Sabo was only a few months behind) over their heads and told them he was the protector. Anyone who messed with them, messed with him too, and he was fierce and terrifying to make an enemy out of.

He wouldn't have regretted protecting Luffy. 

In those last moments, even without the knowledge of a shooter, he'd still been in danger of the fire. The whole place could have come down at any time and yet he made sure his brother was safe first. 

With the place burning all around him, he'd still came to find _Luffy_. When the chance to escape came, he made _Luffy_ go out the window first. He'd given Luffy his mask and risked dying of carbon monoxide poisoning, and none of that had fazed him.

Ace probably would have changed nothing, even knowing where he'd end up.

That didn't really change Luffy's own opinions, but it was easier to accept. They'd made a promise to each other to live without regrets and if Ace kept to his word then Luffy should try to as well.

"T'rao... Thank you." The gown he wore was like paper, it didn't do too well against his tears, but he wiped them on his shoulder and tried to get himself under control. "I wish I could have known your sister, but I'm also glad to have met you."

He looked up to smile at the doctor, feeling butterflies in his stomach again. He knew what the answer would be as he said it, but wasn't deterred. "Come here, I want to hug you again."

"Fuck off."

It made Luffy laugh, the first since he'd gotten here, it was a little watery but genuine, and it made the atmosphere a lot lighter and had Law smiling as well. And then something amazing happened...

"Luffy," He heard in a soft voice, and it wasn't Torao's. The fighter turned around so fast he almost ripped the cannula off his face again. Ace's arm was rising, sluggishly feeling at the mask on his face, his brown eyes barely open.

"Ace!"

* * *

Law was relieved. The older brother was awake and aware enough to answer his questions and Luffy could stop looking at the man so brokenly because Ace didn't put up with his mopey attitude for long. They could both start the process to heal and Law could finally stop second guessing himself.

With Luffy, his friends, the firefighting crew, and the public watching his every move he'd been riddled with anxiety. The operation had gone fine and there were plenty of images taken throughout these few days for Law to be confident that there were no hidden complications. All signs pointed to a successful recovery. And yet he worried.

Time not spent in the hospital was dedicated to reading and making sure he knew all of what to look for and the exact things to do if such issues arose. He would call himself a great surgeon, but open heart surgery was no small procedure and Ace's injuries were very complex.

It was his most stressful case so far, but now he could finally relax. A Little. 

New challenges lay ahead and some were very unexpected.

For the last few hours, Ace had been updated on all the events that had taken place. There had been shock, grief, gratitude, and generally a lot of emotions that Luffy had helped tremendously with. Law gave them the respect and privacy they needed and did what he could; Ace had been betrayed and lost a best friend and father figure in one day.

He kept the man's new status out of public knowledge, as he ensured all information had been. The news reporters hadn't gone away and were making a nuisance of themselves just off property, desperately clutching at any new development. The guards along the ward entrance and at the patient room door had caught three people trying to sneak in already.

If they knew the man was awake, they'd try even harder.

The whole blow-out over Ace's lineage wasn't something Law wanted to bring up so soon, seeing as the man had more than enough to handle while in his condition. It seemed like an annoying but trivial thing - he wouldn't be put on trial or whatever the public had cried for.

But it wasn't something they could hide. 

It was a messed up situation and nobody knew how the knowledge of his father got out but Law didn't expect the man to get so angry about it. "He's not my father!" He practically screamed. 

Law had to make sure Ace didn't damage anything, firmly telling him to settle down or he'd be put back to sleep.

"Whitebeard was who I considered to be my father. He was the one who cared for me, he was the one who loved me like I was his son - I'd never known Rodger my entire _life_ and they think he'd give me his money?" He let out a dark laugh. "Fuck them, we had _nothing_ , we were basically starving on the streets and he was nowhere, how can they -"

"Ace," Luffy had gotten out of his bed at one point, dragged all his tubes and such to his brother's side of the room to hold his hand. "Family is who you choose. They don't know that, but we do. Whitebeard knew that too."

"It's not fair! They think he gave me _anything_? Do you think we'd have been living like we were if he did? We... we still don't have shit, between all of us. Sabo makes the most and it was barely enough to live on..."

Law had ordered Penguin to keep an eye on his medications. He'd wanted to wean him off anything addictive or unnecessary at this point but it was clear that both brothers were run by emotions and while he envied them for expressing it so easily, he didn't want Ace moving too much.

He was kind of thankful for making that decision considering the whiplash Ace displayed when they officially met. "Thank you for saving me and my brother," He said, heartfelt and genuine, a step away from crying, and Law was once again out of his element. He'd been checking the monitors, recording pertinent data for tracking, and his forearm was grabbed in a gentle hold. 

Law jumped, barely restraining himself from jerking away. "Of course. I'm glad I was able to..."

He was mentally asking himself if that was even an appropriate response, what was he supposed to say " _it's my job?_ " Because it was, but that sounded so shallow and cold, but before he could add anything more to the awkward reply, Luffy interrupted.

"I told you Torao was an amazing doctor! He was able to fix your _heart_ Ace, isn't that awesome?"

"Torao?" Ace copied. His eyes went from his brother down to where he had wrapped his fingers weakly around the doctor's arm.

Not his arm, Law amended, his hand. The stark tattoos of DEATH and the circular insignia of the black spot.

Like a full 180 degrees, the man's somber and earnest look changed into an exaggerated happy one. The man smiled at him like he was a celebrity and Law didn't know if he was being made fun of or threatened. "Torao, yeah?"

" _Law_ ," He emphasized. It seemed to be a lost cause by now.

"You look different than the picture." His arm was released but he still felt pinned. "Paler, taller, more... angry."

That was a weird thing to say, rude and honest like Luffy - they really were brothers. "What picture?" He was already glaring at the most likely culprit. Luffy laughed and his elbow hitched out to nudge Ace's shoulder gently; no power behind it, but the meaning clear. 

Straw-hat didn't hold up to his look for long and would eventually show him. It was so surreal to see; not many pictures of Law existed - he had a complicated opinion on them considering not one photograph of his family survived the destruction of Flevance. Cora loved taking them, as did Shachi, but they weren't spontaneous or candid. 

This picture was both. Taken at a time between sips of coffee, most of his chin hidden behind the gaudy cup, tattooed fingers wrapped around it, the image of a seal on the ceramic just visible. His eyes were shut and Law thought he looked tired and stressed; the mere smell of caffeine was all that kept him awake in that moment.

"You creep. Delete it." Law ordered. 

"No! I like it! It's so pretty!"

Ace was laughing, Maybe at the way Luffy clutched his phone to his chest protectively, but probably at how Law blushed. He could feel his face as it got hot and it made him even more flustered because now they knew he was affected. 

Not only did Luffy take and save a picture of him, or call him pretty, but apparently he'd shown Ace - he talked about Law to his brother. He had no idea what to do with that. It felt like a meeting of in-laws or something and damn it, they weren't even _dating_! 

He groaned in mortification and tried to put on the blank face he normally would to remain professional. "Go back to your own bed and stop causing trouble. Too much excitement isn’t good right now."

"Okay!"

"Why do I feel like I'm putting rowdy kids to sleep?" Law muttered as Luffy practically jumped onto his bed. He leaned over to readjust the cannula under Luffy's nose and huffed when the fighter laughed and moved it out of place again.

"Tell us a bedtime story?" Luffy asked cheekily. The brat.

"Sure," Law replied dryly. "One night, all the bad patients who refused to listen to the doctor ended up sleeping in the morgue." He smirked. "The end."

"You could have at least added in dragons and knights."

"Shachi is the one with the bedtime stories, not me."

Luffy went on to weave a tale involving said dragons, knights, and doctors where the morgue was the lair, and Law was throwing patients in to be sacrificed and Luffy was a knight in shining armor coming to slay both. “Usopp should get in on this, he’d make it an even better story!”

Law rolled his eyes, feeling like the only sane person in the room as even Ace started to expand on the story by _being_ the fire-breathing dragon -

He stopped paying attention, feeling like he’d get sucked into the madness if he stuck around so he backed away slowly to the door as the two brothers argued over which was cooler; fire breathing or armor and sword.

A soft knock let them know they had a visitor and Law, who had backed himself to the door, stepped back to let them in. It was a man he vaguely recognized from the list of patients who had come in the night of the accident. Blond with a weird haricut, athletic, just as tall as Law but slumped, and with a tired look on his face. The man waved lazily.

"Could I speak to you?"

That was surprising, Law figured he was there as a guest. But he supposed that it made sense, visiting hours were over which meant that his purpose was of a different sort. The guard had let him pass and he was a part of the fire fighter crew, so his business must be related. 

Law nodded, about to gesture back down the hall to a consultation room when Ace called out as loudly as he could (still slightly below a normal decibel). "Marco? Is that you?"

Since nobody had known Ace was awake yet, Marco was sufficiently surprised and Law moved aside to let the man through. Ace must have recognized his voice, but when Marco turned the corner, he was much more ecstatic. 

They hugged, Marco talking to him quietly and Ace pulling him in closer. Law overheard the words "pops" and "I'm okay" and shuffled in place. He saw Luffy smiling softly and went back to his guest chair by the straw-hat's bed again. Whatever the reason behind Marco's visit, he'd give the two their privacy and wait patiently. 

“Pineapple guy was really close to Ace and their dad.” Luffy explained quietly. “I’m glad he’s able to see Ace now that he’s awake.”

“Well, they won’t be able to visit long. Ace only woke up this morning, he still needs rest.” He sighed. “But knowing people who care about you are there for support goes a long way in recovery, so I’ll let the staff know _some_ visitors are welcome to see him now. We’ll need to be careful who though.” 

When Marco pulled back and turned to the room as a whole again he looked a lot more haggard but relieved. "I'm glad you're awake. I wanted you to hear this too." He told Ace, before standing up straight, clearing his throat, and looking Law in the eyes. "I wanted to ask if you'd sign over Ace's care to me."

He said it so bluntly, like ripping off a bandaid, and he clearly expected to have to plead his case, because he waited for the shock and disbelief to fade before continuing. The room was quiet, Law and Ace staring at him in surprise and Luffy making fists in the blanket.

"Pops' death left a vacuum of power and the department is in shambles. It's a political nightmare. The accid - " He stopped with a growl. "The _attack_ from Teach did more damage than just the _deaths_ of family. People are moving in - people I've never known and don't trust."

Being that Marco was a very close confidant of Whitebeard's and proverbial second in command, that said a lot about where he believed the department was going. "I don't know anything about the marines who bothered pops, but things are not adding up. I'm being pushed out."

"They're... pushing you out?" Ace asked.

"I've been given a resignation letter."

"They can't do that!"

"Nobody is telling them that. After Teach’s betrayal they’re saying they need to start fresh, make sure all members are vetted. A whole lot of people have been let go; coincidentally, all of those people were members of our family - the ones we trust. They're not even trying very hard to find Teach. There was a hit the other day about a man like him two cities over but nobody has checked it out as far as I can tell."

"What the hell is going on?"

"I don't know..." 

Law took a deep breath. It was a lot to take in, and he was beginning to see where this was leading. "You want me to sign him over to you?" He asked to get back on track.

"Yes. I'm a qualified physician. EMS for over a decade.” He reached into his pocket for some papers and passed them to Law over Luffy’s bed. “I’m not a cardiologist, but if Ace is passed a critical stage and I can take over then -"

"No!" 

They all turned to Luffy, who was scowling down at his sheets, knuckles white with the force in which he gripped them. It made the needles in his arm taught and Law reached forward before he could think about it to touch the man's hand. He hadn't been trying to hold it, only make it release from its fist and relax the arm, but Luffy twisted his hand to slide their palms together.

His fingers clenched around Law's, tight but not painful, and Law figured it was better than before, so he said nothing, just looked at the man's face. He was angry, eyes dark and full of tears that didn't fall. "You can't take him!"

"You would be able to come too, Luffy." Marco said. "If he stays here, people will know where he is; the news, Teach, anyone else who is behind it all. It's not safe."

"But -" Luffy was breathing faster and his hand trembled. Law could see him shut his eyes, the signs of a panic attack, the first since Ace had woken and definitely the first that his brother would witness was beginning to crest over him. Law imagined he wouldn’t want Ace to know about them; they were too personal and embarrassing. Even if they shouldn’t be thought of as shameful, Luffy had pride and he had told Law that he hated being seen as a crybaby. 

"Luffy," Law called, voice calm.

_List out and focus on multiple senses to reorient yourself with reality._

"Listen to the sounds of Ace's machine; they're strong signals," He said. _Sound_. "He's looking healthier today too." _Sight_. "If you want him to continue getting better, then it would be best to get him in a real bed where he'd be comfortable; not under scratchy sheets like these." _Touch_. "Besides, without me there you'll probably be able to swindle solid foods from some poor sap faster than recommended." _Taste_.

He gently rocked their hands back and forth to get Luffy’s attention, to see if any of these tactics were working. It took a few moments, before he heard a reply, "What if something happens?"

"Then call me," Law said. Luffy's eyes opened to look at him, clearing up slowly. "Just because I'm not his primary, doesn't mean I can't do anything." 

Luffy's hand in his loosened slowly, in small increments. The anxiety wasn't gone, Law could still see it waiting under the surface, but he was getting through. 

Straw-hat looked back at Ace, critically assessing him. The older brother was still weak, the emotional turmoil of the day had gotten to him and even though he’d napped today, he still looked tired. His eyes had bags under them, the bandages on his chest were clean but Luffy had seen just how much healing he still needed to do. He’d only just woken up, and Law had told him how long it would be before Ace was back to normal health; months, years for some things. So much time for something to happen…

“It’s your choice, Luffy,” Marco said. His voice sounded sad, and Luffy saw that he’d truly understand and accept whatever answer Luffy went with. “I’ll let you all talk about it. We weren’t going to leave for a few days yet.”

Ace gave a soft smile. “We’ll let you know. Come see us tomorrow.”

“Of course. If that’s alright.” Law nodded looking down at the papers in his unoccupied hand. “I’ll let myself out then.”

Ace was the only one with a heartfelt goodbye, and Luffy gave a big sigh once the man was gone. “Do you think we should?”

From the other side of the room, Ace leaned back, placing his mask over his nose and mouth to breath better now that they weren’t in a deep conversation. His eyes were on Luffy though and when the man tilted his head in question, he lifted the mask up again to be heard. “I’d rather not be anywhere the damn news is. And I trust Marco.”

Luffy’s lips turned down in a frown. “Torao?”

He looked up. He’d already offered his professional opinion, but this was more. Although he didn’t know if he had any right to weigh in on such a thing, Luffy looked at him with such trust and vulnerability.

The hand that had threaded with his was warm and it was a strange sensation that Law hadn’t felt in a long time. If Luffy left with Ace, how long would he be gone?

A part of him ached at the thought, which was ridiculous. He’d known this man for _weeks_ and he was so emotionally invested that he was letting it influence his opinion. He took a deep breath, hyper-aware of the fingers and palm that fit against his own, and thought carefully about his own advice to give.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy New Year! Hope everyone had a fun time and stayed safe! I stayed home with some wine, my game, and my cats!  
> Also, going to add to the tags cause I realized something: I'm not a doctor! I research what I write and know quite a bit of medical knowledge, but that is not my field so don't believe that I've got everything right. I just design hospitals, not work in them ;)
> 
> Thanks for reading!


	10. Dusk - Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Law loses two very important things.

He'd just started his shift, spending the last 20 minutes reviewing records from the day crew. Sadly, more time than desired was always spent on paperwork than seeing patients and he could expect another two hours of administrative work before he started his rounds. However, this was why he fought so hard for the members of his team, as they were good at what they did. He didn't have to worry about immediately checking up on anything, wasn't bothered for every single thing, and generally trusted them and their judgement. 

Ikkaku had given him a short list of priorities and flagged papers of importance for follow ups, and he was so thankful for it. She was impressive on all fronts and sometimes he forgot the amount of power he had when it came to employee advancement until internships came around. Times where he'd be forced to look at new residencies and potential crew-members. 

There would be piles of resumes, school transcripts, proof of qualifications, recommendation letters - he hated going through it all, but Ikkaku had only one stapled pack to her name. Great grades, but no sponsors, no family name pushing her through. It was an unassuming application and maybe it was the lack of fluff that appealed to him. 

With his name climbing into fame, he'd received offers and bribes to accept only the best, and apparently the "best" came from an ivy league school with squeaky-clean records and wealthy parents to back them.

He'd been curious enough to meet Ikkaku in person, going to an event on campus where she was known to work.

She was snarky enough to have rebuked his knowledge of blood-work before she knew who he was. His mother was a hematologist, and he knew more than just the basics, but lab-work like that was Ikkaku's passion. She corrected his faulty assumption with gusto, not arrogantly but with certainty. If he wasn't so impressed, he would have been annoyed.

Her face when he introduced himself still made him laugh to think about, but he'd accepted her application the next day. 

Uni's too, which was a special case. He was deaf, but that had nothing on his brilliance; a man who seemed to know more about computers and technology than human interaction. With how finicky all the medical equipment was these days, Law had no issue bringing him on board, learning various ways to communicate with him was no problem. He'd taken up a few signs, knew the alphabet and basic signals, but Uni was happy to message him for any deeper conversation necessary.

They were an eclectic group, and not a normal team compared to others, but Law was proud of them all. The meshed very well together, and the two new members were flourishing, despite his colleague's doubts.

While he refused to have an office of his own, he took advantage of the consultation rooms and collaboration spaces. There were plenty of private areas where he could access notes, record information, research and reference material, etc. Right in the core of the ward, close enough to be available should he be needed. Most of the time, when it came to matters like these, Law was the one coming to them for assistance.

"So, this girl stayed here for two days over a rash?"

"It was thought to be an allergic reaction."

"I get that... But two days?"

Bepo apologized. "She insisted. And was able to pay for it." Law sighed, signing his name in an illegible scrawl. 

He flipped through more sheets, leaning against the nurse station counter, and swore he was going to need glasses soon. The name  _ Portgas, D. Ace _ caught his eyes and he read through the information there. It was a thick packet of details pertaining to the procedure, the list of supplies used, the hours put in - on and on it went, totaling the costs and estimated value of care he received. 

Going through the others, he found  _ Monkey, D. Luffy _ and saw that while it was a lot less, that didn't mean much in the way of things. 

Both were out of work and whatever payout they'd get wouldn't cover everything, not with the amount of future visits Ace would need along the way. The mechanical valve in his heart alone was pricey. 

He pulled those two packets out of the pile and dropped them in front of Penguin at the desk. "Send the medical bills to me."

Penguin glanced at them, then slowly raised his head to give him a  _ look _ . "Seriously?"

"Do I tend to joke about these things?" Law replied lightly. He was hoping to play it off, ignore how much of an impact it would make and what it said about him that he was willing to do it. While he had more money than he knew what to do with and played his part in donating to causes he cared about, he didn't make a habit of working for free. 

It made the nurse chuckle, shake his head, and agree that he would do as he asked. "You like him."

"You take that back." As reactions go, he found that he appreciated Penguin's discretion. A bit of teasing was in store for him, certainly, but they knew him well enough that their words would be nothing but platitudes.

"Who does he like?" Bepo asked.

Law groaned, thankful that Shachi wasn't there to get in on the fun, but he knew it was only a matter of time before he was told about it, and if Shachi didn't join them now, he'd be texting him about it later.

His phone began to vibrate against his thigh and he brought it out to check; a quick move that everyone was used to. He was on call so much that it became a habit to glance at it even in the middle of conversations and events. It was a downer, his friends would complain, because he'd never be able to completely put his phone away. Still, most times he was able to carry on with whatever he was doing after seeing who it was.

It wasn't from the hospital first of all, it was a call from a very unlikely individual and seeing the name lit on his screen immediately sent his mind spinning in all the worst directions. He swiped his thumb across the phone to accept the call and was already asking questions before it was fully at his ear.

"Kuzan, is Cora alright?"

It took a second to get a reply and Law already had so much anxiety over the possible reasons for this call; if Cora had gotten sick, or fell and hit his head, or caught himself on fire again with the cigarettes he wasn't supposed to have - 

"Law?" The man asked, voice lazy and indifferent, and it simultaneously made Law want to question his intelligence (who else would it be? You called my phone!), but pause in confusion. Surely if this was an emergency, Kuzan wouldn't sound so bored and sleepy. He was a calm and rational man, but even he would be displaying some concern if they were on their way to the hospital.

"Yes?" He questioned instead.

"Where are you at the moment?"

"The hospital..."

"Your shift ends at six?"

He looked up to Penguin and Bepo, both sending curious glances in between their continued work. "Yes..."

"Good. I'll see you then."

"Why?"

"No particular reason. I'm picking you up for breakfast with Roci."

This all sounded so weird. "Kuzan, I have a car."

"Understood. But I will be picking you up."

"What?" He was starting to get annoyed. "Look -"

"Law, do as you're told and wait there for me."

Oh no. He did not fucking say that. 

A spike of rage flashed through him and he opened his mouth to give this asshole a piece of his mind. Cora may be like a father figure to him but Kuzan didn't get to order him around like he was an ornery child. But before he could get a word out a sharp  _ click  _ met his ears and Law was left livid.

He hung up...

"What does he even think he's doing? How dare - No, he's not  _ picking me up _ for breakfast like I'm at some school event or whatever  _ bullshit _ , he's delusional!"

Bepo and Penguin stared as he went off, obviously lost in what happened since they hadn't heard the conversation, and Law couldn't get himself to properly explain, was too angry to speak about it calmly so he continued to mutter curses under his breath. He stuffed his phone back into his coat and twisted to stomp back down the corridor to continue his work like nothing happened. 

Generally, he didn’t mind working night shifts. By the second or third week he’d get used to the change in schedule and after several months the teams would switch again. Either way, it was all the same to him.

Time didn’t exactly fly by, but 6 o’clock came around faster than he thought and so they wrapped things up so they could leave on time for once. Penguin was the first out the door, Shachi running shortly behind him, Bepo the last as Law waved them off one by one. He gathered his keys and jacket from the lockers and left the ward to the day crew. Having the elevator to himself, nobody was able to see him slump against the railing in exhaustion, and he determined that he needed coffee. 

If he was going to deal with Cora first thing in the morning after work then he would need it. There was a cafe in the hospital but he decided to go to the shop across the street. For no particular reason!

The air was brisk and made him shiver as he pulled his coat closer, crossing his arms to hold in the heat. Outside of the hospital the streets were dead, the sun wasn't up yet and the timing felt off. Underneath the bright exam lights all night, Law was sure his circadian rhythm was all sorts of messed up, thinking it was evening instead of morning. Yet, as exhausted as he was, due to his insomnia he seemed to have caught a second wind. Or the winter chill woke him up by cutting right through his jacket.

Dashing across the empty street to the cafe, he puffed out a cloud of visible air as he passed the outdoor seating area, void of customers. The lights just beyond the glass storefront acted like a lantern, warm and inviting and he pulled the door open to the sound of it's jingle with relief.

The smell of coffee was instantly soothing and with such few people out, there was no line to wait in. His order was taken and he settled into one of the tables by the window, sagging slightly as his back made its complaints. 

Taking his phone out, he navigated to the messages he had and sent a quick " _ at the cafe across the street if you're going to pick me up. _ " to Kuzan.

It was petty, he was fully aware, but despite the long shift he'd had that let him cool his head, he was still angry at the man's audacity. His coffee was perfect and he enjoyed the moment. It was so quiet there, compared to the hospital which was always full of ambient noises. He didn't realize how much he needed the peace and was glad he'd made the decision to come by, even if it was out of some passive aggressive move.

Until ten minutes later when a large man smelling of smoke and gunpowder settled into the seat across from him.

Law froze, looking over the man in white, with a gaudy pink flower pinned to his lapel. He was brown skinned, dark haired, and had a large dark scar that look up the right side of his face, trailing down his neck to hide under his collar. 

Akainu grunted a greeting, pulling the cigar out of his mouth to put it out on the windowsill. Smoke wafted into Law's face and it snapped him out of his surprise enough to wave a hand to disperse it, glaring.

"You're a busy man," Akainu said. His voice was gravely, deep and angry. "All you do is work, huh?"

It seemed like a rhetorical question so Law remained silent. His blood pumped faster and he was suddenly so uncomfortable. He felt open and vulnerable, unsafe outside the walls of the hospital. Suddenly, the cafe setting was stifling and dangerous.

"It's been a while since we've seen each other, two years or so? Since Kuzan came around with that disabled paper-pusher." 

Law's hands closed into tight fists, his chest hot with anger. He knew they didn't have much respect for Cora; he was off the field due to past injuries and Sengoku had given him a nice desk job. 

Mostly, he dealt with aftermath control and clean up. Even the admirals had to give Cora their reports and he wasn't a push over. It burned them that some lower class soldier was someone they had to answer to - which was funny, because it would have been that way no matter who held the position, but they seemed to hate Cora in particular. His promotion was seen as nepotism.

"Not uncommon for gays to adopt I guess, but Kuzan used to complain that his boyfriend came with baggage.  _ Needy white-flea _ , he called you."

"What do you want?" Law's jaw started to hurt with how hard he clenched it; his eyes narrowed on every move Akainu made, trying to stay composed. The admiral always pushed him, and Law had come to know that the man had reasons for it all.

He leaned back like he hadn't a care in the world. His black eyes were cold and unfeeling and his hand holding his cigar twisted it in his fingers thoughtfully. "Didn't take much digging to know the strings Rocinante pulled to get you here. Sengoku was too soft, letting him get away with what he did."

"He didn't do anything wrong," Law said, voice tight. He was prepared to tell the story; he escaped Flevance before the bombs struck, lived on the streets until Cora found him, he was clean and never showed signs of the disease...

"He picked you up from a pile of corpses," Akainu stated like he was talking about the weather. "He disobeyed direct orders to let nobody escape. He took and hid a disease-riddled kid in Dressrosa before officially adopting you and bringing you here."

How did he know that... not even Kuzan was told the whole story. There were no files; as far as anyone knew, Law hadn't been in Flevance when the quarantine fell into place and the only ones who knew the truth were Law, Bepo, Penguin, Shachi, Cora -

He entertained the thought that his friends had betrayed him, and for a split second his heart broke. However, that  _ couldn't  _ be it, he'd just seen them, there was no way they would have done this and looked him in the eye afterwards. Cora trusted Kuzan, maybe he  _ did  _ tell him and was betrayed, or -

Doflamingo also knew. But... it was impossible...

What did it matter? Why was Akainu here?

"What are you going to do?" Law asked. His voice was just barely above a whisper, his eyes darting to the barista, the patrons at other tables. "Why do you care?"

"I care, because it should never have happened." The man leaned forward and Law's heart skipped. "His actions endangered everyone."

"The White Amber sickness wasn't a disease, it was a  _ poison _ -"

"I know." He started to chuckle, one side of his smile higher than the other, and he put his unlit cigar back in his mouth. "Imagine the panic it would have caused if the public knew the navy had been the cause of it?"

"So in response you killed  _ everyone _ ?"

"It was the lesser evil. A few people died instead of many."

" _ A few? _ " Law's voice grew louder in its incredulity. "There were  _ thousands _ !"

Akainu shrugged. "Flevance was a small country in the scheme of things. I agree it was a shame so many died." He waved at his scar. "But it's amazing what one little mistake can cause. A failure like Rocinante’s would cause a huge scandal."

"What the fuck do you want? Why bring this up?"

"To give you perspective. Leverage."

"You mean blackmail!"

"Sure. It's all the same."

"For what?"

"Portgas D. Ace. As he is in critical condition, any kind of complication would not be a surprise. Nobody would question it if he was overcome by his injuries."

Of fucking course. Luffy’s description matched, and Law had thought of this man but it was one thing to be reminded of a monster and another to be proven right. Knowing that this was the guy who set fire to a building, locked people inside to burn alive,  _ murdered _ two people at least, and was the one responsible for shooting Luffy’s brother.

"You want me... to finish your job. You -"

"Of course not. That was Marshal D. Teach, a man currently on the run.” He smiled and it was darkly amused. “But that’s not to say he didn’t have encouragement.”

They looked at each other for a tense moment, and Law could see the eyes of a killer; it chilled him to see the lack of humanity, the sense of justice. He'd come to recognize it easily, even years ago when they were first introduced. He was reminded so much of Doflamingo even if they were different in so many ways. Both of them held no sympathy in their hearts. They truly believed that what they did was right, that their cruelty had some kind of higher purpose. 

"Why? Why kill Ace? Or any of them?"

"Oh, just another secret. You know how it is. So, what's more important, your adoptive father's reputation and career or your pride as a doctor?”

Slowly, Law's shoulders dropped, muscles relaxing as he felt a sudden bout of hysterics. His laugh caught even him by surprise. His hands were shaking, his heart beating fast, fear causing the hair at the back of his neck to stand, but the situation was suddenly hilarious. 

"You're too late for that. Ace isn't in my care anymore, and he's not even in the Polar Tang ward anymore. I don't have access to him."

Akainu's face, a mixture of anger, surprise, annoyance - it caused him to laugh again and he leaned forward in his chair to put an elbow on the table, brave enough to get closer and relish the expression.

"So," Law huffed, his laughter dying to a smirk. "You can take your blackmail and shove it up your ass. Go and tattle on Cora's disobeying orders if you want, but nobody will believe I had the White Amber sickness anyway - it's a disease without a cure, remember?"

The indifferent look that Akainu settled on was only slightly worrying, because it meant that this new development was not as troubling as it should be if it ruined his plans. "I wouldn't be so sure. But I see there's no point to this discussion anymore. What a waste of time." He stood, towering over the table and Law. "Still, maybe this will be useful in the future."

"Fuck you."

It didn't seem to faze him, he just waved over his shoulder on his way out the door, like he didn't have a care, like the interaction never happened. And Law didn't feel like he won anything, despite the fact that the man's bribe didn't work. His heart still pounded, he still sat frozen in his seat as he watched the admiral walk down the street through the glass. He turned the corner and was out of sight but Law still felt like he was in the presence of a predator.

He should call Cora; they had decided a long time ago what would happen if the truth of Cora's actions came to light. He'd be discharged from service completely, possibly put on trial, but Sengoku would keep him out of jail. Law was against it all but the man argued that it was a price he'd gladly pay if it came down to it.

He should call Luffy. He needed to know how much danger they were in - that he was right, it was a marine who set fire to the place, it was Akainu. And even if it changed nothing in an authoritative capacity, he wasn't crazy. 

Standing from the table on shaky legs, he finally got the strength to leave the building, stepping outside and walking the opposite direction he'd seen Akainu go in. His shoes  _ clacked  _ down the sidewalk, loud in the quiet dawn. He put his phone to his ear as it rang.

Vaguely, he realized that this would be the first time they had spoken on the phone. When the recipient picked up with a “Torao?!” he could tell that it was Luffy; his voice wasn’t very deep and the energy Straw-hat put into everything carried over. It was lighter though, slightly changed by the digital signal - or maybe that was a psychological thing, because without the expressions and body language to go on, Law felt like he was only receiving a piece of the conversation.

“You need to leave as soon as possible, Luffy-ya.” He said. “What are you doing right now?”

There was a static, the sound of movement, and Luffy’s voice was clearer. “I’m packing. Me and Usopp only had a month on our lease left anyway, so I’m clearing out everything.”

“And where is your brother?”

“With Marco. We’re taking the ambulance with us, Ace will be in the back and I’ll ride with him, we’re leaving tomorrow.” Luffy’s voice got serious. “Are you okay, Torao? You sound funny.”

He sounded scared, out of breath from his brisk walk, cold from the winter chill. “There was an admiral, Akainu is his name, he wanted me to make your brother’s death look like a medical accident.”

“What do you mean?”

“He tried to blackmail me in order to kill your brother! He’s the one who burned the fire station.”

“Are you alright? Are you hurt?” And Law huffed, breath visible, because out of all that of course Luffy wanted to ask  _ him _ if he was okay. “Where are you right now? I can come get you.”

“I’m fine.” It wasn’t too convincing. “Just tell Marco that he shouldn’t give anyone access to Ace that he doesn’t explicitly trust. Akainu will get to them too.”

“I’ll tell him.”

“Don’t tell anyone where you go and keep an eye on Ace.”

“I will. I got your book too, and you left notes on the sides! Thanks! Though, I guess it’s true what they say about a doctor’s handwriting, it’s really bad.”

“Shut up. You can still read it.” The conversation was calming him, his footsteps slowing and he realized he’d been walking for a good while now. More people were on the street and the sun was rising. “I wanted you to be prepared. It’ll be a long time until Ace recovers enough.”

“I know,” Luffy sounded sad. “It’s going to be a long time until we come back.”

A block of ice that had been in his chest since his altercation with Akainu grew heavier. There was nothing for him to say to that, he’d already known, and it shouldn’t hurt as much as it did.

"Hey," There was a short pause. "I  _ will _ come back, you know?"

"Yeah." He said reflexively. 

Sure, straw-hat will be back at some point, his friends live here still. But it didn't mean things would be the same; they were never that close. With distance Luffy was bound to forget about Law - maybe not enough to forget he was the doctor that saved their lives, but certainly that he'd wanted to be friends with him so badly. For whatever reason. Because he was cool, because he liked Law's tattoos, because Law was rude enough to talk back or punch people.

That was barely scratching the surface of getting to know someone. Even if they shared intimate details with each other. Sometimes it was easier to talk to strangers than people you knew, there was no fear of judgement. 

A part of him was already considering this as a loss. He was already pulling himself away.

"I promise, Torao." He could imagine the face Luffy was making; determined, almost angry, sincere. And Law believed him, because Luffy never lied and he seemed the type to keep those promises. 

But still, Law could only give a quiet, "Okay." Because even if they saw each other again, it wouldn't matter. 

The sound of tires on gravel notified him that there was a car pulling up, a lot slower than if they were just driving past, and Law was paranoid enough to freeze in place and look around at it. 

He recognized Kuzan in his ice-blue sports car and took a deep breath, phone still at his ear. "Bye, Luffy-ya." It was short, quick, it sounded so insignificant when Law felt like it was much more. 

There was a lot left unsaid, and Law wondered if they could have talked about whatever kind of spark was between them, would it have made a difference? Because Law knew there was something... Luffy had gotten under his skin, made him feel warm and cared about, and it was  _ nice _ . 

He didn't know why, but ever since they met, despite all the times Law refused and said "no" to every little thing, not once did he truly try to stop him. His heart wasn't in it to reject Luffy's honest-given friendship; all those grins, the laughter, the  _ touches _ that straw-hat gave, it all made him feel... warm.

What if Law had taken that spark, the possibility of Luffy's crush, and done something with it? More than just flirted, but let it evolve, develop into something more...

Why even think about it? He was always so obsessed with replaying things in his mind, always with different scenarios, torturing himself with the choices he didn't make and the mistakes that he did. 

It was something that wouldn't have happened, wouldn't have changed the circumstances, would only have lead to this exact moment. And would Law have still felt so broken up about it? Who knew. 

When he hung up the phone, that was it. He cut that avenue of thought off and got in the car with Kuzan, settling in where the heater could thaw out his hands but wouldn't chase away the chill in his heart. 

Kuzan drove, both of them in silence for several minutes, not even greeting each other. Nothing said about Kuzan having to drive around to find him because he wasn't where he said he'd be.

"Are we even going to a diner?" Law asked. "Or was that a lie?"

"We are going to have breakfast. Roci is already there." 

Another distinct difference in their relationships. 

Law, Bepo, Penguin, and Shachi always called him Cora or his alias' name: Corazon. That was the name they were introduced to because it was the one used in the type of undercover work the man had done. But here, where he'd been working as a normal member of the military, he went by his real name: Rocinante. 

Law wondered sometimes, which was more real to his adopted father? Was it all the same to him? Because Law tended to think of them as separate entities. Corazon: before Law and Rocinante: after Law.

He glanced at Kuzan, trying to read the man who had such an indifferent face on. Usually, sunglasses hid the dark eyes, but even if he didn't wear them now, they were closed off. The dark black hair, curled tightly and grown out, was held back by a hat and the scruff at his cheeks was a week old at least. Tall, lean, and as athletic as he was, he seemed to have such little energy or motivation to do anything.

Only for Cora did he seem to put effort into doing things. He used to think it wouldn't last, that Kuzan was only doing it until his interest faded, but he supposed that was just his pessimistic opinion about love. After several years, Law was thinking he'd been proved wrong, because Kuzan continued to put energy into making that relationship successful.

Law wished that were the case. 

He wished that Kuzan loved Cora enough to change his opinions on the war, respect his love for children and freedom and  _ life _ . Those were the values Cora upheld, the values that the navy were supposed to uphold and didn't.

He knew now why Kuzan wanted to pick him up, why he was acting so strange. This wasn't a gesture of kindness like he made it out to be. He knew Akainu would make his move, he knew about Ace, the fire, the blackmail - Kuzan was trying to intercept him.

None of that effort was done for Law though, because Kuzan didn't care to protect  _ him _ .

It was to protect Cora.  _ Cora  _ was the one with his career on the line, the collateral in Law's blackmail.

" _ He complained that his boyfriend came with baggage. _ "

It was clear now. But he already knew that Kuzan wasn't his friend, for all the short periods of time they got along. Law tried because Cora saw the good in everyone - surely Kuzan was worth that love. 

Or maybe those values of Cora's didn't matter so much any more because Cora was trying to live as  _ Rocinante  _ now and maybe that man saw things differently. 

Maybe it was Law who was messed up. He was already the odd one out; the one Cora risked everything for, the weak link in the story they concocted, the past that was always going to haunt him even when Cora tried to live beyond it. 

Even still...

"You think I put Cora in danger because I'm from Flevance. Because Akainu is using him against me." He'd do anything to keep Cora safe. If it meant he left, then he would, if it cost him his entire career as a doctor, or his very  _ life _ , he owed it all to Cora anyway. 

What he would not do, is leave him in the den with wolves dressed as sheep. "I suppose that's fair. But you're a lot less intelligent than I took you for if you think a man like that will stop at just  _ me _ ."

Kuzan showed no reaction - either he already knew Akainu had tried and failed, or he was very good at hiding his emotions. "There is no reason Akainu would use him against me."

"So you've completely agreed with all he's done? From killing children in Flevance to his recent crime of arson? Did they all deserve to die too?"

"You do not understand -"

"Oh, explain it to me, I'm sure it will make so much sense when you justify it." Kuzan remained silent, but his hands tightened along the wheel, finally some emotion to show that Law was getting through. "You're sick."

"I had nothing to do with that."

"Then you knew and you did nothing!"

"I am staying out of it, Law. If I do not get involved, Roci won't either. I'm trying to protect him."

"No you're not, you're putting him in danger too, and you're lying to him!" They swerved into a parking lot. A small diner that Cora liked to frequent ahead of them as they parked. Kuzan turned the vehicle off and sighed heavily. 

"I'm sorry you had to find out about any of this, but keeping quiet about it is in your best interests." Before Law could open his mouth, Kuzan held up his hand to stop him. 

"I'm not threatening you. I do not wish you or Roci harm. Not everything we do is right and I will not defend Akainu, and I hope you believe me when I say I don't approve of his methods. But think of the repercussions if you or I went against them right now. Roci would be implicated in these crimes too, it's inescapable."

It was wrong... so wrong. Earlier, he'd been so glad that Akainu's blackmail hadn't worked, but he wasn't looking at the trap waiting for him afterwards. Now that he knew the marines were responsible for the murder of others, he had a different choice to make.

"So I'm just supposed to turn my head while innocent people die to keep whatever secrets you're hiding now? I am supposed to keep my mouth shut while Cora sleeps next to someone who would let that  _ happen _ ?"

"You do what you want, Law." Kuzan said quietly. He opened the door, tall legs unfolding from the car. "I will not stop you."

That was that... 

Law followed the man out, into the diner, his mind in a fog. His anger faded into the background, locked in a bottle and shoved away to deal with later, and it left him numb, like no other emotions were able to break through.

Cora gave both of them a hug and kiss on the cheek and Law responded mechanically. The sun came up and the world brightened, but Law could only think about the shadows in the corners; secrets and misdeeds hiding in all the nooks and crannies light didn't touch. 

His involvement in their conversation was stilted but Cora didn't seem to pick up on the tension in the air. The fact that Kuzan and Law didn't look or directly speak to each other went unnoticed as Cora was particularly energetic today. He chattered non-stop, fussed over the menu and tried a bit of food from both Law and Kuzan's plates, smiling and laughing like always.

Several times during the meal, Law thinks about opening his mouth, telling Cora the truth. He wanted to warn him of Akainu, ask him how the man knew of his history, if Cora told, if Cora knew that there were enemies at his back and in his bed.

It turned his stomach and he felt like a coward every time he failed but the longer it went the less strength he had of bringing it up.

"I have something to tell you, Law!" He said happily. The tall man reached into the bag at his feet and hit his head on the table as he came up. "Ow! Here."

A small envelope was passed to him. Blue with black trim, made from expensive textured paper. His tattooed fingers opened it with care, slipping out something smooth and thin; a thick card with fancy print.

_ Join us in Celebration! _

_ Rocinante & Kuzan _

"We're getting married!" Cora said. His voice was loud and excited and Kuzan in the corner beside him didn't meet Law's eyes. "He proposed last week and I wanted to tell you first thing but you were so busy and I didn't want to do it over the phone so Kuzan told me he'd pick you up and we could all have breakfast together!"

Cora continued to ramble, going into the proposal and how romantic it was and the date they wanted the wedding celebration to be on. "It's a long way away, I've got so much to plan, and these aren't the final invitations, but what do you think?"

Law never had an out-of-body experience like this one, but his body continued to read the words again and again and he watched himself distantly. Noises all around him sounded far away or under water and if it weren't instinctual he'd probably forget to breathe. 

His hands, still holding the card with the white glitter of snow on a printed background, were suddenly enveloped by larger ones. Cora's brown eyes looked into his and his grin turned shy. "Law?"

"Yeah." He looked at Kuzan for a split second, seeing the man solemn, not with his usual lazy attitude but something deeper.  _ Do what you want, _ he'd said, like Law could possibly make that choice now, in the face of Cora's happiness.

In that moment, Law truly hated him. 

"Congratulations, Cora."

"I want you up there with me - no, wait - walk with me down the aisle! Sengoku is going to officiate."

Walk him down the aisle and 'give him away' huh? Accept his adoptive father's commitment to this man who had admitted to letting people die, to wanting to get rid of Law because he was a danger, this monster that Cora loved so deeply he wanted to start his life with him. 

As Rocinante. 

Not Corazon.

Food tasted like ashes in his mouth and he couldn't finish it, barely touched it, and when Cora finally caught on that he wasn't all there, he blamed it on being so tired. He excused himself once they were done, telling them he'd get a rideshare, and hugged Cora tightly as they said goodbye.

It was difficult to let go; he usually put up a fuss over the way Cora would smother him; too exuberant, too clumsy, too much like a child being mothered. This time, when he wrapped his arms around his adopted father's waist and felt the familiar black feathered coat he had on, he wanted nothing more than to stay there.

He wanted to talk to Cora, used to being able to tell him anything, but the words were stuck in his throat.  _ Don't do this, you don't know, it's all a lie, it's Doflamingo all over again _ -

They parted and Cora kissed his forehead with a loud smack. "I love you!"

He waved at them as they left the restaurant, climbing into Kuzan's car, said man still refusing to meet his eyes like he was ashamed. As he should be...

He stared at his phone while he thought about calling someone before realizing that none of them would help. Not Bepo, Penguin, or Shachi. Or Luffy.

He stopped in the bathroom to throw up in one of the stalls. 

He waited for his ride in a daze and the driver had to use his horn to get his attention.

The rideshare didn't take long and didn't cost much and before he knew it he was home, throwing his shoes off into a corner and trudging up the stairs. He lived alone, so nobody was there to welcome him back, it was quiet and his actions were loud. He'd always been a clean person but when he took his scrubs off and fell into bed in his boxers, they piled onto the floor, along with the blue envelope.

Even with his arm over his face, blocking out the sun shining brightly through the window, he couldn't even pretend to be fine. His eyes stung with tears and his arm failed in holding them in. 

Like always, he never had the control to change anything. The world spun and life was cruel and he learned to stop thinking he could stop it - could only hold on while events happened all around him that destroyed everything he built up. 

A little part of him from his childhood screamed  _ it's not fair _ but the adult who had grown from the ruins knew that it was just reality.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My heart broke to pieces writing this. Let me know what you thought! I felt like it was a little stilted since I tried to pack in 2 very tense scenes. 
> 
> It's the end of an arc! Next chapter, you can expect some time to have passed and things will be a little different as we move into more of Law's past. Hopefully you don't hate Kuzan too much, it's not my intention to make him irredeemable, I actually really enjoy his character in the series and in World Seeker (and his interaction with Law is hilarious). His slow development continues!


	11. Sunrise - Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The day Law could not run from.

He sighed deeply, leaning more on the counter so his glass of whiskey was just in reach and he didn’t have to pick it up far to get a sip. It burned on the way down, contrary to it’s cold temperature as ice clinked against the empty tumbler. He sat it down further away, in front of the bartender. “One more.”

Instead of watching the guy pour from one of his most expensive bottles, he looked back down at his plate of food to pick at a fry. The suit he was in garnered attention; tailored to fit him perfectly and made out of fine quality fabrics. It was perhaps one of the most expensive outfits he owned now, and he should like it, he _bought_ it. But despite the fact that he looked good in the black and white suit, gold tie, leather shoes, and watch to match, he hated it for what it represented.

Today felt like the longest day of his life.

From before he even woke up he’d already been tormented by dreams of death and claustrophobia. He’d come out of his nightmares seconds away from screaming, but even awake, he felt like they never left him. All his anxiety was leading up to this day; the day Cora got married.

And what a beautiful wedding it was.

Their union included a ceremony set in a cabin-like venue, large enough to seat over a hundred, all in silent awe as the two men spoke vows of love in front of a wall of windows, a peaceful snowy landscape beyond. They had a few traditions; wrapping their hands together with ribbon, stepping over water that symbolized a river together.

It was perfect, because Cora looked beautiful and happy, like it was the best day of his life. And Law preferred to look at that instead of the hundred or so guests; friends and family of the two husbands. Almost all of them marines.

Bepo, Peng, and Shachi were there, and it helped, but Law (as Cora had asked) was front and center. He walked with Cora down the small aisle between seats, arms interlocked to take him to the podium Kuzan waited at.

When Cora had been getting ready for the ceremony, Law was the one to put the cloak on his shoulder. It draped over one shoulder, held in place with a beautiful gold pin. It was a special order that he’d purchased; soft, thick fabric with black feathers along the trim and shoulders. Over the white suit Cora wore, and with the man’s blond hair, it all stood out and the man looked stunning in it. All the better: the symbol along the back, the same symbol Law had tattooed on his in permanent ink, embroidered in a stark yellow-gold.

It was a relatively short ceremony, but Law felt like a knife was twisting into his heart the entire time. His stomach felt sick as Cora’s cloak was exchanged, and when the two newly weds ended it with a kiss, Law could only clap in celebration. Slowly, mechanically.

Afterwards, the two kicked off the party with cracking open the first bottle of sake to share, the food was served, the bar open, the music turned to something fast and fun. Cora had dragged him close to spin around in some weird definition of a dance that Law put up with for a few minutes before sneaking away.

Over a year they had been engaged and Cora had gone through many hoops to plan the details of this night. Law had helped where he could, but found himself staying later at the hospital and working more shifts to keep himself busy. In part because he needed the distraction but it also didn’t hurt that he was “too busy” to do more for Cora.

He felt like a shitty person for not putting more effort in, but Cora wasn’t the type to complicate things. They stuck to the basics and the fact that they had such a long time to get things in order helped tremendously.

And Law couldn’t handle listening to him go on about this new life he was making for himself, complete with talk of the future involving a dog -

Or a child.

His emotions had been so close to the surface that Cora had backtracked, asked him if he wanted a ‘sibling,’ like Law could make that choice. Like adopting a kid as a parental unit like that wouldn’t put the final nail in the coffin of Law being ostracized. In all the years it’s been since the death of his family, he never thought he’d have anyone else to call a brother or sister - didn’t think he’d be able to.

Cora spoke of it like it would be a joyous event, and Law knew that in his mind, it would be. They’d all be one big happy family, Law included, just as Cora had dreamed about for so long, as a final happy ending to the mess of family dynamics the Donquixote family had been. With parents who made all the right choices and children who grew up safe and happy. And all the troubles in the world were faced together.

If Law had any strength in him to speak truthfully about the matter, he’d be able to tell Cora that the family he envisioned as being perfect… was already broken.

But he didn’t tell Cora anything. So, Law played the coward and avoided it all until the day he could not run away from came.

Now he was here, skirting the area where many had gathered to talk in groups and dance. The space he left by Cora was immediately taken by others wanting to congratulate him, the crowd undulating like a school of fish around the man of the hour. Several people he recognized came up to greet him, but he had nothing in common with them and all they exchanged was polite words and small talk. He wanted to find his friends, knowing they would be the only ones here he’d be able to relax around, he was getting too claustrophobic and when he broke the line of tables and chairs it thinned out drastically and he made a bee-line to the bar.

And almost literally ran into the second groom of the hour.

“Ah, we must have had the same idea,” Kuzan said. His black suit, in contrast to Cora’s had his own insignia on the white shoulder cape, in bright blue. The new cloak Cora was wearing looked the same.

They both looked nice for the occasion and while Kuzan also seemed to be having a great time, like this might actually be the best night of his life as well (Law didn’t think he’d seen the man smile so much), he wasn’t as keen on the crowds as Cora was. He’d been trying to sneak off too under the guise of getting drinks.

Law scoffed. It wasn’t really angry, because he’d had many months to lock away his hatred and hide his emotions, but their relationship had not improved since the reveal. The rare interactions they had were just forced politeness now. He stepped around the man, continuing on to the bar serving beer and champagne.

Law wasn’t a fan of beer; they were all made with grains and he disliked the taste of barley. So he settled for the other, and as he waited Kuzan settled on the seat next to him. It irked Law that he was sticking around so he finally tried to make talk. “I don’t see Akainu or Kizaru,” He started. “Your own friends don’t come to your wedding?”

Kuzan took a glass of his own. “I told them not to come.” That was good, Law figured, it would have been that much worse to see them on this day. “Also, I find that they’re a lot less inclined to associate with me now that I’m no longer an admiral.” The man gave him a small cheers with his glass before taking a sip.

“Having regrets about quitting?” Law asked. It had come as a surprise to find out that Kuzan voluntarily stepped down. Cora had told him that his fiance was troubled about something for months before he’d brought this decision up. _Three guesses as to why,_ Law thought dryly, but the fact that Kuzan felt guilty enough to leave his position did a lot for Law’s misgivings.

“Nope.”

Law drained his glass. “Has it soothed your conscience?”

“Not exactly.”

The word _good_ was on his lips but he didn’t want to be so antagonistic tonight. He didn’t want to cause any trouble on Cora’s wedding day and Kuzan didn’t necessarily deserve it when he’d acknowledged the issue.

“I meant every word I said in the union,” Kuzan said. “I know you don’t approve, but one day I hope you understand. You can’t forget the past, but with the one you love you can choose to look at the future instead.”

It sounded like he was trying to give some profound wisdom, but Law just seethed. “So where does this _white-flea_ _baggage_ belong then?”

By the look on Kuzan’s face, he didn’t expect those words to come back and haunt him. Law had wondered if it was something Akainu had made up to get to him, but now he could see it wasn’t. Kuzan had complained about Cora dragging the past along with him, and that was fine, Law _was_ baggage. But Law believed that the past shaped you, and if two people marry, their pasts and their problems came with the deal.

“You’re such a fucking hypocrite,” Law hissed under his breath. And he told himself to calm down, to not make a scene. He didn’t _want_ to be antagonistic - he would not ruin this night!

He spun around, looking at the crowd, looking for his friends, but he couldn’t see them and his anxiety was so high that he couldn’t bring himself to wade back through the people to find them. The doors to the venue were to the left, two dozen feet away and with a clear path, so that’s where he went.

Right out the door.

Standing outside in the cold without a heavier jacket wasn’t the best idea, it was snowing in flurries and the sounds of music and people still travelled to his ears, only slightly muffled by the closed door. It sounded like a great party. Everyone was happy, having fun, celebrating the union.

He walked to the parking lot, found his car, and got in. He drove off, away from the large cabin and his father figure. He knows he should go back. He should be spending time with Cora, seeing the man smile and hearing his laugh, sharing this special night with him.

But he was a coward and not strong enough to do so without breaking.  
  
When he got back to the city proper he pulled into one of the first bars he knew. He needed a drink, was hungry since he hadn’t eaten, and he didn’t want to be home alone.  
  
Which found him here.

Bar-type food was a big hit or miss, sometimes they had good appetizers and the last time he was here with with his friends, they’d gotten a big thing of fries to share. Shachi liked to put ketchup _on_ the fries, squirting lines of the… _was it a sauce? A juice?_

Whatever, Law had thought it was disgusting because the fries would be soggy and some would have too much ketchup and others would have too little - and Penguin was even more disgusting cause he prefered mustard.

His friends were weird. He missed them. He should have gone to find them.

The whiskey tastes better with time and he savored it. It was a good bottle... or maybe it was because he had already drank a bit more than he usually did and the fact that he was buzzed killed off his taste buds.

Thinking about his friends reminded him to check his phone.

> _Bepo: where are you?_
> 
> _Shachi: the party is until midnight, right?_
> 
> _Did you leave?_
> 
> _Penguin: Your cars gone._
> 
> _Dude, you should have said._
> 
> _Bepo: Law, you ok? Where are you?_
> 
> _Answer_
> 
> _Please_

He composed a text that told them he was fine. They should stop worrying. And then he looked at another thread from a different contact.

> _Kuzan: I said a lot of things I shouldn’t have when I first got together with Roci._
> 
> _I’m very sorry I called you that._
> 
> _You belong with him. You’re not just the past, you’re part of his future._

There was nothing he could say to that. He thought about pointing out _“His” future? Or both of yours?_ Because he felt like Kuzan still didn’t get it, but he didn’t want to have a conversation like that through text messages. He hardly had the patience to type long messages out while sober.

But the words _“fuck you”_ were easy and simple.

He took another bite of the chicken he had on his plate, but was unhappy with the taste. There was too much breading on it, it was like he’d bitten into a bunch of batter.

His phone vibrated on the bar counter and he picked it up to read the words, “Where are you?” and sighed. His friends weren’t going to leave it alone, so he replied with the name of the bar and set the ringer on silent. That was something he never normally did, but he was on “vacation” for the next two days so the hospital wouldn’t be calling him and he really didn’t want any reminders of his shitty situation right now.

There was a woman who bought him a drink from across the way and Law gave her a second glance to get a feel for it. She was pretty, seemed nice and intelligent, but if Law decided to end the night like that, he was in the mood for something rougher.

He gave her a wave but turned his back on her to show his disinterest. Now that the idea was in his head though, he looked around to see if there was anyone he _would_ be interested in.

This bar wasn’t too crowded, and open minded enough that flaunting homosexuality was common. He found two, possibly three, targets he could hit on if he wanted to make a move. Picking one, he played the same game as the girl before did, and told the bartender to send him a drink.

It was a lackluster effort, but Law didn’t make a habit of one-night stands. As a doctor, he’d seen too many STDs to feel comfortable living that kind of a promiscuous life, and he didn’t have much of a libido in the first place. If his move worked, great. Maybe he’d spend the night in another’s bed and play the walk-of-shame game tomorrow.

The guy was taller than even Law was, with red hair and a sarcastic smirk on his face. He had more arrogance than Law typically went for, as shown by the smug look thrown his way, and then the way he strode up to the bar to lean into Law’s space with the glass of alcohol Law had bought for him.

However, the confidence worked in his favor, Law liked the bold way their thighs touched as the redhead got close. “What’s your name? And why the suit?”

He matched the man’s smirk with one of his own. “Law, and ‘cause it makes people ask questions. Like, _how’s it look on the floor_?”

It earned a cackle. “Eustass.” He introduced himself. “So, wanna see how it looks on my floor? Or yours?”

Law turned his body slightly to open himself up in an inviting manner, getting that little bit closer and seeing the man’s eyes dilate as their chests brushed. He opened his mouth to reply, a smooth acceptance of his invitation on the tongue, before a loud _thump_ caught his attention on the other side of him.

He wouldn’t have looked, but the person’s arm brushed against his on its way to Law’s plate of food and the action bought him his full attention.

Almost as if it were a hallucination, there was Straw-hat Luffy, sitting on the stool with a piece of chicken in his mouth. Now, Law didn’t often drink as much as he did, but he wasn’t so belligerently drunk to be seeing things, and when he goes, “What the fuck?” the food-stealing menace that he hadn’t seen in over a year grinned in response.

“Hey, Torao!”

It hadn’t been as long as a year since he’d heard that nickname. The man called more than once to ask about things; sometimes about Ace’s recovery, sometimes about things in the book Law had given. When he called to ask about antiplatelets and the blood thinners that Ace was taking, Law had caught on to the fact that these were just excuses to talk to him.

On top of that, Luffy would text him little things about his daily activity. He’d taken a video of himself holding his breath to time it, proudly showing Law how much his lung capacity had improved. The video channel Luffy had was inactive, but he still did stupid stunts and things. He just showed it to specific people instead of sharing it on the internet.

After trying to pull himself away from the emotional attachment, Law found it difficult to keep a balance. He tried not to get close to Luffy; responded less, kept the tone professional and the details at a distance, but… Try as he might, every text he got gave him a drop of warmth and happiness. Months later and Luffy still went after him strong.

Law had thought the man would eventually forget him, or lose interest, but he didn’t. Even if Law went over a week without replying to a single message, Luffy still sent them.

Not once over the course of time apart did Luffy mention coming back.

“What are you doing?”

“What do you mean? Oh, were you still eating it? Sorry.”

“No, what are you doing here?”

“You told me where you were!” Luffy laughed. And Law figured he should have paid more attention to his texts; he thought he replied to Shachi, Peng, and Bepo, not Luffy. That laugh got his heart racing though and Luffy was close. Actually, he got way too close as he leaned around him to look at Eustass. “Who are you?”

“Uh.”

“I’m Luffy!”

“No,” The man said slowly. “You’re a cockblock.”

Law’s face was warm with his blush. Instead of being offended, Luffy just mischievously chuckled. “The others say that too.”

“So then fuck off?” The man said, the end raised like a question and said sarcastically.

“Isn’t that what you should do?” Luffy grinned back.

“I _would_ and _was going to,_ with your friend here, unless you got a problem with that?”

“Yeah, I do, ‘cause I don’t have a lot of time with Torao, so he’s gonna be mine tonight.”

Wow, Law suddenly felt way to close to both of them, he waved his arms out to make room and stepped away from the bar. “I’m eighty percent sure he didn’t mean it to sound like it did.” He huffed.

But they were both ignoring him, Eustass grinning at straw-hat, not at all overtly angry but more like he was enjoying the new development. “You little shit. You wanna go?”

“Oh, like a fight?” Luffy’s eyes lit up.

Eustass busted out laughing. “I was thinking a threesome, but a fight sounds just as good!”

“No -” Law tried.

“Let’s do it!”

“Wait, _it_ as in fight or sex?”

Luffy’s answer was a punch in the face. Because of course it was.

Eustass slammed into a table where a long haired blonde sat with a card game. The disruption caused the table to collapse with all the cards and the player looked like the action was an affront against his very person. He kicked Eustass while he was down until the redhead was able to sit up and tackle the blond in response, which sent them all right back to the bar and into Luffy who was laughing like a maniac...

Someone in the back yelled out “bar fight!” like it was some corny movie and everyone was just going to start a fight because _that’s just what happens_.

And. It. Did.

The person one table over got up, throwing the table over in the process and tackled the person across from him. Some other idiot flew in out of nowhere with his fists flying in an uncoordinated flail. Noise levels rose as yelling, screaming, crashing, and more erupted all around him.

The whole area was the center of a riot and Law was _not_ going to participate in this bullshit, he twisted out of the way as someone drunkenly darted by but then was bowled over by someone else. They were lightweight, but their knee went right into his stomach. He looked up to see the woman from across the bar who had given him a drink.

“Hi, pretty boy!” She said with a smile. And then poured some kind of alcohol onto him from a bottle right on his face. “All the cute ones are gay!”

He pushed her off roughly and she laughed uproariously. Someone stumbled over her and she kicked at them viciously. Law lost sight of her as another guy came at him and he finally got his ass in gear and started to fight back.

Luffy was everywhere, hitting and kicking and having the time of his life and Law couldn’t help but laugh suddenly, even as he punched some big guy in a mafioso hat. Because Luffy hadn’t been back for _ten minutes_ and already he brought chaos!

His blood pumped faster as he dodged a beer bottle and it had been so long since he needed to use moves like this. He almost wished he had his sword so he could get some real practice with it, but instead he used his leg to side kick an assailant running at him. And laughed as Luffy bumped into his side after being sent back by a flying chair or something.

Barely heard over the shouting was the bartender telling them police were here, and Luffy turned around to yell, “We gotta go, Torao!”

His arm was snatched and Law was running through the brawl after Luffy outside of the bar. They glimpsed flashes of red and blue and almost ran over a man in uniform.

“Hi, Smokey!” Luffy exclaimed. Law tugged him and they just barely got by before the man came to his senses and caught them. “Bye, Smokey!”

The man screamed something; profanities and Luffy’s name, but they were gaining distance and the fight was spilling out of the bar so the officer couldn’t break away. They didn’t stop though, knowing it was only a matter of time before they were chased down if they stuck around.

“Wait, wait, this way,” Law pulled and they made a loop around the building to where Law parked his car. He didn’t consider himself sober enough to drive so he tossed his keys to Luffy without a word, jumping into the car’s passenger seat.

“It’s yellow, Torao!” Luffy yelled as he got in. “We’ll never get away in a bright yellow car!”

And Law laughed. It was the deep kind of laugh that hurt his stomach, and he could barely breathe between the cackles. Luffy sped off, swerving around the corner to the next street. He was laughing too, giggling between pants of exertion. His lip and knuckles were busted, his shirt was stained, the hat on his head sideways with hair in a mess, but his eyes were bright as he looked behind them for followers, the road in front, at Law.

When the laughter finally stopped, Law could see that he wasn’t in much better shape. His suit jacket was wet and torn at the lapel and at the elbows, his shirt had blood on it, maybe from the cut on the eyebrow, which stung with the alcohol in his hair and on his face, making him feel sticky.

It’s the best he’s felt in a very long time.

He still found himself smiling, even as their ride smoothed out after Luffy got on the highway and he was able to relax fully. His stereo was on, playing music where it left off, and the lyrics were not in English but in his mother tongue.

“I’ve lost count of how many people I’ve punched because of you, Straw-hat.”

The man laughed. “That was so much fun.” And Law laughed with him.

“Why are you here?”

“I wanted to see you! We moved a bit closer, it’s only an hour and a half away by bus!”

He hummed in response, which changed to follow with the music on the stereo. His head fell back as the alcohol dulled the senses, giving him the courage to sing. He felt like he was floating.

“I like this song. You have a pretty voice.”

“You don’t even know what it’s saying,” Law chuckled. “Also, stop calling me pretty.”

“Nah, don’t wanna. But what’s the song say?”

Law translated a verse. “It’s kind of a love song. It’s my favorite ‘cause I remember my parents dancing to it. The singer also died in Flevance, though.”

It was sad, but at the moment he could only remember the vague sense of happiness his parents had as he caught the two spontaneously dancing to it. “If I ever had a wedding, I’d want to play this. Cora had a slow piano song, it sounded too sad. Or maybe that’s just me.”

Luffy hummed. He replayed the song so he could hear it a second time, asked Law to sing again, but he refused until Straw-hat tried to mimic the words; loudly and horribly. They went through several songs until the directions Law gave got them home, where Luffy pulled in.

Law opened the door from the garage to the kitchen, letting Luffy in behind him. Coming home like this, it didn’t feel so empty, even though nothing had changed. He snorted. “I guess I ended up bringing someone back after all! Though, I thought it was going to be very different.”

“You mean with that guy you wanted to sleep with?”

Law shrugged, trying to bend over and take his shoes off but needing to brace himself against the door. “This place gets lonely. Guess I was just sick of seeing it.”

Stepping closer, Luffy wrapped an arm around his waist and Law’s first thought was that the man was propositioning him, but then realized that he’d been sinking down the wall a bit. Luffy’s grip brought him back up. “You are a mess, Torao.”

“Because of _you_ ,” Law replied. “I’m soaked in beer. Get me to the shower, I am not passing out before I get clean.”

It made Luffy laugh, “You brat.” But he helped Law up the stairs and left him in the master bath. “I’ll wash up downstairs.”

“Don’t lie, you’re gonna raid my kitchen.” While Luffy cracked up laughing Law rolled his eyes, waving him off. “Jokes on you, I don’t have anything here.”

Taking a shower helped tremendously. It was short, but he felt clean and the water helped to sober him up. By the time he dressed in pajama pants and fell onto the bed, he felt more like himself.

That wasn’t such a great thing, because he wasn’t exactly in a great place before.

The clock told him it was thirty minutes until midnight. This day _still_ wasn’t over. In fact, the wedding party would still be going on.

He wondered if Cora noticed his disappearance, then sighed because he probably did, which meant his phone would be blowing up with questions. He shouldn’t have left when he did. He let Kuzan get to him and ran away from it all.

Suddenly, he couldn’t take laying there anymore, so he got up to join his guest downstairs. Luffy was still there, hemming and hawing at the state of his pantry. Law tossed him a pair of clean pants and a shirt before they parted so he looked better without the blood and ripped clothes on him.

“Dude, you need something more than ramen.” He said as Law passed him. “You have no meat.”

“I’m never here, so it would just go bad. But,” He reached into the freezer and pulled out a thing of ice cream. “I have this.”

The fighter watched as the man leaned against the counter, spoon in hand to eat from the carton. His eyes were transfixed on his revealed tattoos for a long moment and Law almost made a joke about it. _My eyes are up here_.

“What do they mean,” Luffy asked. “They look so cool.”

So he explained. Luffy grabbed a spoon and hopped up onto the counter to share in the ice cream. Luffy showed him the tattoo he got not long after the fire:

3

D

Both number and letter was crossed out in a large ‘X.’

“It took Ace three days to wake up.” Luffy said. “I didn’t know if he’d _live_ for three days. They were the longest, worst days of my life.”

“He’s fine now, right?”

“Yeah! He’s doing so much better! Sabo moved us around, since people were always looking for us, but Ace doesn’t want to put up with it anymore. He wants to work again, or at least, do more than just sit around being _safe_.” His feet swung lightly back and forth. “He wanted to be closer to the family again.”

“And you want to be closer to your friends,” Law gathered.

“Yeah, but I’m still far away from them and the MMA league. I’m going to get back into fighting, so I need to be closer. Usopp is still in Syrup city though, so I’m out a roommate. And I can’t afford anything on my own.”

“Stay here then.”

 _Where the fuck did that come from?_ Law wondered.

His mouth had spoken before he really thought about it, but he supposed he was still drunk enough to say crazy shit like that. Still, when he thought about it, it didn’t seem like a horrible idea. He was hardly ever home, the house was always empty, he had appliances and such that were hardly used, there was more than enough space. There was only one bed but the sleeper sofa was new and comfortable.

“You’re crazy,” Luffy replied. That was rich, coming from the man who invented a new definition of the word. “We still owe you money for the med-stuff.”

“No you don’t,” Law scoffed. “I told you, I took care of it cause I wanted to. You don’t owe anything.”

“...yeah, friends help each other out when they need it.”

It wasn’t the first time Luffy said that, and there were plenty of times Law would answer back _“We’re not friends!”_ but this time he held his tongue. At this moment, he wanted those words to be true.

“Well, I could use a place to stay tonight at least! I already missed the last bus.”

The doctor hummed, putting away the ice cream. “The couch turns into a bed. There’s sheets and a pillow in the closet by the stairs.”

He didn’t need to see the man’s face to know he was grinning when he said, “Thanks, Torao!” so happily. After shutting the door to the fridge, Law turned to lean against it, looking up and expecting to see Luffy’s large smile. Instead, it was a lot softer than expected. Luffy jumped down from the counter and once again invaded Law’s space. “Let’s get you to bed.”

There were lots of things he could say to that if he took it to mean something different, but he knew Luffy had said it with innocence. Still, while Law didn’t find it necessary to be supported, Luffy’s arm around his waist felt warm and intimate. Luffy didn’t try to take any weight, it was more like he herded Law to the stairs, his hot palm just at his back, Law hyper aware of it with every step.

Up the stairs, Luffy helped with the covers on his bed and Law rolled his eyes at it. “I’m not that drunk you know. You don’t have to tuck me in.”

“Shut up, I will if I wanna.”

The stubborn reply made Law laugh as he settled down on his side watching Luffy turn out his light. It seemed so stupidly cute and natural, like they had done this before, and it felt more complex than just friendship.

“Did you want to take that guys place tonight?” He found himself asking. Because if he thought about it deeper, Luffy’s actions from the bar (while not out of character) lined up suspiciously well.

There was that blush. The one Law had greatly enjoyed seeing before. Luffy avoided his eyes. “Ah, n-no I just… Maybe. I don’t know, someday I’d like to - but not tonight! You’re - um…”

Law snickered again. “Luffy-ya,” He placated, because while the flustered man was adorably awkward and funny, he recognized a sense of panic behind the rambling. “Thanks for taking me home. Today was bad but… You really made it better.”

The clock read 12:45.

It was officially the next day, and even though nothing really changed, he felt lighter. It seemed like Luffy had some kind of special power within him to make Law relax. With all the distance between them, he still kept in contact, and on the worst day imaginable he came to see him, and… here they were, spark lit between them like it never went out.

“Hey,” Luffy said softly, kneeling by the bed with red cheeks but gentle smile. “I promised I’d be back.”

“Yeah but…”

“Silly Torao. I never break a promise.”

“Why today though?”

He wasn’t wearing his straw-hat, probably left downstairs because his hair was wet from his quick shower, and his head tilted like he was confused. “Because today you really needed someone. It wasn’t good for you to be alone. Friends help each other!”

So… it was for _him._ Luffy came back for that one reason. For _Law_?

Damn… Law buried his head in the pillow, hiding his eyes from Luffy because he was afraid they were tearing up. He heard Luffy’s characteristic laugh and suddenly felt fingers run through his hair, tenderly, comfortingly, and Law let it. His emotions were too loose to risk doing anything but lay still.

“Goodnight, Torao. Sweet dreams!”

He heard the door close softly and once he was sure Luffy was gone he lifted his head up to settle into a more comfortable position. His heart beat fast for several minutes after, and Law simultaneously wanted to cry and laugh.

For however long Luffy was back, it didn’t matter, because Law truly believed in him now when he said he’d stick around, even if not physically. He hadn’t gone away yet, in all the time and distance it took, and Law couldn’t - didn’t want - to fight against him anymore.

He fell asleep without realizing it. And he did, indeed, have sweeter dreams than normal.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Need some good feelings after all that angst? Here.
> 
> That ending was written out a couple times in different ways, giving me some trouble. How Law asked to stay, if they slept in the same bed, how drunk Law would act, how Luffy reacted to being called out on his fight with Kidd. 
> 
> It wasn't quite a conventional form of jealousy, since Luffy was more concerned about the time and attention Kidd was getting from Law and not the sex. I'm demi-sexual so I'm really hoping to take the chance and write Luffy in the right manner to help others understand. Being asexual doesn't mean they won't or don't like sex (some aces are sex-repulsed but that's not the definition), it's all based on the sexual attraction to others, which is different than libido (and the desire for sexual pleasure). So, to be clear, there will be sex eventually, but I'll dive in on how it all fits into their relationship later. 
> 
> Thanks for the read!


	12. Sunrise - Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just a star-eyed Luffy being stupid, then smart... Then stupid.  
> Law's rolling with it.

The couch-bed thing was comfortable, and didn't take long for Luffy to settle into. The pillow at his head and the sheets around him were soft and warm and made out of good quality materials. They smelled like the laundry detergent Luffy still didn’t know the name of but reminded him of vanilla and spice, like Torao.

Law's house was cool looking; the ceiling above the living room was high, with little windows along the sides, there was a fireplace and television and Luffy spotted a gaming console hooked up to it too. Although, it hardly looked used and he doubted Law was the one to get it, so it must be Shachi's. He wanted to see what kind of games there were but didn't want to snoop and touch things he wasn't supposed to. He'll wait to ask Law about it tomorrow.

He grinned, feeling his bottom lip pull at the cut he had gotten there. Today was so fun! Although he never cared for drinking, bars had music and dancing, which he loved (not that he was good at doing either of those things).

Bars were at the center of social interaction, and that was what Luffy cared about; who didn't like a room full of people having fun? And like Shanks always said, “ _There's always a reason to party!”_

Surely nobody intended fights to be a part of that equation, but again, Luffy thought differently than most. He really needed to let some energy loose and that bar-fight was just what he needed, and it seemed to help Law too!

His smile slid off his face at the thought of how Torao was tonight.

He was glad to have made the decision (despite Sabo and Ace’s protests) to ride a bus down. They’d just barely gotten settled further north where many of Ace’s family had moved to. Boxes and everything were still waiting to be unpacked and he hadn’t told any of his friends that he’d moved yet either.

Although he’d been overly excited to see them again, and had been impatient to move within easy travel distance, his first trip down was for the one who needed him most.

Torao had been so sad… His texts lately had been few and far in between, bare of detail and feeling. When Luffy called, his voice was bland and he obviously avoided certain topics.

Torao said he was fine when Luffy asked. But the day of Cora’s wedding creeped closer and Law kept withdrawing into himself. And Bepo, Penguin, and Shachi would message him, giving him a different perspective: Law was overworked, not sleeping, not talking.

He was hiding. Torao hid his feelings from his father figure, his friends, Luffy, and even himself. And it was hard to determine how hard Luffy was pushing when he tried to break those barriers down. Sometimes he said the wrong thing and it was too easy for Law to retreat when Luffy couldn't follow. Eventually he had to realize that he wasn't going to get anywhere through phone.

So Luffy pushed his brothers instead, to move faster, feeling like there was a clock ticking down in his mind as the day drew nearer and they all attributed it to his impatience. Like Ace, he’d been tired of the constant protection Sabo insisted on. Never leaving their shelter where they could be recognized, only going out for necessities - they were all going stir crazy, it was true.

However, Luffy had a long time to get used to this newfound anxiety he had since the fire. He knew it was more than just unleashed energy. His friend was hurting and he wasn’t there. He could be doing something, but he was thousands of miles away and his phone was ineffective at bridging that distance.

On the day of the wedding, one day since they’d moved in, Luffy took the first bus he could, riding down, texting the Heart crew (as he’d come to call them for the specialty in cardiology) along the way. The guys had given him details throughout; scheduling when the ceremony began and party ended.

At first, he figured it was pretty stupid to head down now when he wasn’t invited to the wedding and he wouldn’t dare crash something so important. Law could have stayed the entire time and midnight would have come and Luffy would have been wandering around until then, lost and useless.

For some reason though, he felt like he had to go. Even if he didn’t get to see Torao, maybe if the doctor knew he had been there for support, it would mean something to him.

Then Bepo told him Law had disappeared, panicked that he was alone, upset - and sometimes Law did stupid things when he was alone and upset.

Suddenly, Luffy was the only one who _could_ get to him, unless the others abandoned the wedding party too, which they would, but it would undoubtedly be noticed. That was fine, because Luffy was prepared and when he'd messaged Torao to find him, he'd been surprised at the easy reply, and the bar wasn't far away from the bus station.

After getting there though... he's found that Drunk-Torao was different in a lot of ways.

Inebriation didn’t make anyone _change,_ they were still who they were. Luffy thought it made them more honest. It was harder to lie and pretend while drunk and it sometimes made the thoughts that people wouldn’t normally act on sound like great ideas.

Torao had been a lot more relaxed, talkative, and open. It was easier to tell what he was thinking, from the smiles and laughter to the frowns and glares. When Luffy first saw him he was wearing this confident smirk, kind of smug, his body turned to some guy as they leaned into each other’s space.

He looked like he was being seductive. Luffy could recognize it when he saw it so blatantly and it bothered him, because doing that meant... Well, obviously Torao was interested, and the attention he had on the redhead - heated and focused - said that he’d get what he wanted.

But what did Torao really want? Luffy had doubts that it was just sex Law looked for. It wouldn't solve the real issue that he'd been plagued with for over a year.

Maybe Luffy had no business in it, and maybe he was just jealous that Law was looking so intently at someone else. Luffy wanted that attention. Besides, he knew that making decisions while inebriated led to regrets, it's in every movie, every health pamphlet, every piece of advice - don't take advantage of people who are drunk! That was bad!

Understandably, his reaction to all those feelings was not really what you'd call "good."

He hadn’t wanted to hurt the redhead, it seemed like an over-reaction, but when faced with the clear intention of a fight, he went for it.

No regrets though! Seeing Torao fight was awesome. He was strong and fast, even if he was less coordinated with alcohol in his system. And seeing him laugh as they ran away, jumping into the car and hearing him gasp around cackles, gave him the best feeling in the world. Because he did that.

In all the months he’d been away he’d forgotten just how beautiful Torao was. He looked good in the suit with his styled hair, but he looked _real_ with the blood on his face, hair all over the place, and dress clothes completely ruined.

When he sang, Luffy remembered how deep and velvet-like his voice was; the way it calmed him during his panic attacks. Torao wasn't as great as Brooke when he sang, but it wasn't the pitches and tones that had his attention.

He was captivated by the words and the way Law spoke them. A language Luffy couldn't understand that gave him chills and made him happy to hear. Although was familiar with foreign languages, Ace had taught him a lot of Portuguese, these words, smooth and flowing, without harsh stops and such, just clicked with him. It was because it was _Torao_ , or the fact that he was sharing something from Flevance with him, even a memory, that made the song all the more important.

It was definitely the drink that made him loose enough to sing, and Luffy _did_ take advantage of that.

Another thing that caught his attention tonight, in all the little things he'd noticed: Law wasn't flinching from touch.

First, the way he’d leaned into that guy at the bar, letting a stranger inside his space. Then, the way he’d gripped Luffy as they ran when he used to be so uneasy just holding hands.

The first time he'd helped Torao up the stairs the man sort of melted into the hold, even as he demanded to be taken to the shower and Luffy had thought it was hilarious. The doctor was even _pouting!_ But still, there was no hesitation on putting an arm around Luffy in return as they went up the stairs.

He was warm, pliable, trusting...

Luffy could sometimes get starved for touch. If he was away from his brothers for too long and he didn't feel enveloped in a hug every once and awhile. Or with his friends even. Sometimes he'd throw himself down next to Zoro to nap, or lay his head in Robin's lap while she read. Franky and Brooke were so tall, he liked to jump onto their shoulders. Nami always screeched when he picked her up so sometimes he did that.

Lots of normal little affections. If he didn't get those, he got lonely. And Law had already admitted he was lonely.

The way he leaned his shoulder against Luffy's side when they talked over the ice cream. His sigh when Luffy guided him up the stairs a second time, hand on his back making full contact because he kept leaning towards it.

_Did you want to take that guys place tonight?_

… He could have. Even though he wouldn’t do such a thing while Torao was like this, Luffy understood that if he’d made a move, maybe even sober... Law would likely let him.

It caused Luffy to have a bit of a crisis. Here he was, a man who was in his early twenties, still a virgin and _fine_ with that, having a crush for the first time, suddenly offered… _all of that_.

It wasn’t like Luffy wanted to say no, he would like to eventually. He wanted to know what it was like, but there was never someone he could see himself doing that with. As close as he was with his friends, that was close enough. And sometimes sex just seemed like a weird, dirty, sweaty, thing people did that looked so uncomfortable and yet everyone claimed it was amazing - he could never truly believe them.

But Torao was different. While Luffy didn’t imagine them _in the act,_ being close and sharing moments like that was definitely something he thought about; he thinks he’d value the intimacy more than the act itself, and if Torao offered that -

 _I’d be so bad at it…_ Luffy sighed.

His stomach growled, because of course it would at whatever crazy time it was, and he told himself he’d get breakfast in the next couple hours - with Torao! Flipping over on the bed to find a better position, he tried to sleep. It was too late to be up like this but his mind just kept going!

… He thought about how soft Law’s hair was - like a cloud! No wonder it could stand up straight and messy like it did, it was almost fuzzy -

_Go to sleep…_

… And the tattoos! Holy shit, they were awesome. They covered Torao’s chest and stood out starkly against tan skin. He wanted to touch, somehow convinced that they would have texture and he barely held himself back -

_He needs to go to sleep..._

In the past, Luffy has always been a hard sleeper; knocked out immediately upon laying down, snoring loudly, sprawled all over the place, sleeping until late in the morning. But with his gym routine and various jobs that valued daylight hours, he’d learned to wake up at a more reasonable time. Then after the fire, he’d had bad dreams that kept him on the edge of awareness, every noise jolting him awake. Turned out, that included snoring, which was funny and annoying, so that happened less.

Nowadays, he generally had no trouble falling asleep, and he still sprawls all over the place, which is why he ended up turned around on the bed, face-down on the rug, abdomen on the bed itself, and right leg up on the couch’s backrest. The bed rested a few inches off the floor, so it wasn’t a big stretch, but still an abnormal position to be found in.

It was the sound of a camera shutter going off that woke him up and he realized he drooled on the floor. He looked up awkwardly to see Torao’s smug face, phone up and trained on Luffy. “You’re as chaotic in sleep as you are awake, you know that?”

“Eh?”

“Can you do anything normally?”

“Leave me alone,” Luffy mumbled, shuffling onto the bed to rearrange the sheets to cover him. “Too early to be mean.”

There was a snort of laughter, but he heard Torao walk away to the kitchen. He saw light streaming from the windows, proving that it was daytime. He closed his eyes, thinking he’d get a bit more sleep. The sound of a coffee machine was soothing and the smell of it wafted through the house -

He leaped up suddenly, sheets flying. They almost tripped him as he scrambled to get up and run towards the kitchen, sliding in on the wood floors. “Breakfast!” Torao jumped at the yell, turning to stare at him with an expression that was clearly judgemental. Luffy tried not to get distracted by the man’s tattoos and looked him in the eye. “What time is it?”

“Half past eight…”

“It’s time for breakfast.”

“You are ridiculous.” Law’s eyes rolled, but he opened the fridge to look. “Sausage and eggs?”

Luffy approved, enthusiastically. He wasn’t the best cook by far, but he could do eggs and sausage. Law supervised while sipping his coffee, and Luffy talked, moving around each other like they did this every morning. Torao handed him tools and plates, gave him a glass of orange juice after teasing him that he was not allowed to have caffeine, and Luffy gasped dramatically when Torao told him he often skipped the most important meal of the day.

Despite having a table capable of seating six, the two ate at the little island bar, and Luffy asked about his plans for the day.

“Usually I’ll go to the library for research.”

“.. that’s not taking time off,” Luffy pouted.

“I end up getting bored,” Torao defended himself. “I don't know what to do when I have time off!”

“Okay. I’m going to teach you.”

“That’s terrifying,” Law mumbled.

They went through a list, a real one eventually as Luffy looked things up, but Torao vetoed a lot of them. Neither of them knew what movies were in theaters lately and Luffy couldn't convince Torao into any outdoor adventure, but he was determined to take him on a hike or something, at some point.

It wasn’t hard to convince him to jog around the lake, he knew Torao already did that. They started at a slow pace but got competitive, both of them tried to outrun each other, and Luffy was proud to show off his stamina now, coming out as the winner by a hair's breadth.

Luffy learned that Torao had a soft spot for animals when they came across a few on their run, and they stopped at the dog park to throw balls for a while. Torao told him he always liked cats, but didn't have time enough for any kind of pet. He looked embarrassed when he admitted that even a fish hadn’t survived in his care.

So Luffy added “animal shelter” to the list of things Torao could do on his days off and when they got back to the house for lunch, he posted the list on the fridge.

Folding the paper somehow lead to origami. Then they made little cranes and stars that Luffy used as ammo (they were too ugly to serve any other purpose in his opinion). A simple throwing match became an all out war and Luffy hid behind the counter as Law admonished him for being so immature (he said this from behind the couch, asshole).

Torao won that one cause he was a sneaky little cheater, gathering all the papers until Luffy had nothing and pelting him with the stars until he cried mercy.

It became clear through the day that Law was still hiding in some ways. He’d been ignoring his phone as it rang. Thanks to Luffy’s messages, Bepo, Penguin, and Shachi knew that he was alright, and they covered for Law at the wedding, but Cora still seemed set on talking with him. He called several times, and each time, no matter how hard Luffy tried and succeeded to make Law smile, it brought that sad expression right back.

"Why won't you talk to him?"

"'Cause I don't think I can lie to him anymore. I can't be happy for him." They were on the back porch, Luffy laying in the sun fiddling with the origami paper left over while Law read one of his books on the swing-sofa. Although Law spoke about the book he was reading (something on viral mutations or whatever) with excitement, Luffy caught him staring blankly at it in thought a few times instead.

"Why do you have to be?"

"It's Cora's husband," He made a cringing face. "He wants to start a family and I feel like I'm just being petty or getting in the way."

"He's your dad though."

For a long moment, Torao just stared at him in surprise. "You know he's not - I've never called him -"

"You're family." Luffy stated. "You can have more than one dad figure in your life, it doesn't have to be blood, and it doesn't mean that your first dad is any less important. There's your Flevance dad and then your after Flevance dad. You love them both."

 _"Corazón vs Rocinante,"_ Torao mused. "Looks like I'm a hypocrite too, thinking of it so distinctly like that."

"See? Sometimes sharing it with someone helps. If you just keep it all in, then nobody can tell you differently and you wouldn’t know you were bein’ stupid."

Luffy extended his foot to push against the swing, rocking it back and forth, Torao with it as the man chuckled. "It goes to prove how insecure I'm being, for sure."

"Eh, everyone is afraid of something."

"What are you afraid of?"

It was asked in a soft manner and Luffy braced his foot on the swing to still it's motion, catching Law's eyes. "That's easy. I'm afraid of losing anyone I care about, particularly if it's because I was too scared to do anything about it. Sometimes the world sucks and takes people away, but when you have the chance to keep them, it's your choice. Why would you choose not to?"

"Maybe they would be happier if they left."

"Or," Luffy replied harshly, eyes rolling. " You’ve been so focused on keeping your feelings to yourself that you’ve completely ignored his. He loves you, so maybe _you're_ the one that's leaving _him_."

Torao's frown deepened. He was curled up on one side of the swing, one leg folded underneath, but now he used the other to push off the ground and rock the sofa himself. Luffy's foot falling to the deck without the support. The chains groaned quietly, the breeze blew dead leaves up the porch.

He said nothing and didn’t make a move when Torao got up, phone in hand. He went back inside as he dialed, and Luffy went back to the origami, continuing to lay on his back and fold little white pieces of paper into flowers.

He hoped that, even if some secrets had to be kept, Law felt the freedom to be honest with himself and his emotions. It was okay to be sad or angry - nobody could tell him how he was supposed to feel or make him feel ashamed of what he did. Luffy would spend time with him no matter his mood, because friends were _supposed_ to be there when you needed them.

It was wrong to think he needed to suffer alone, or in order for others to be happy.

He sacrificed a lot and lost so much, Luffy supposed he was so used to feeling that pain that he assumed responsibility for it, so the ignored wound festered, treated like a penance and a _better me, than them_ attitude.

A little later, the back door opened and Luffy looked up to see Torao’s soft smile. Luffy grinned in response and held out one of the folded flowers.

It was bent weird, one petal torn where Luffy had tried to get it to tuck in and accidently pulled too hard. “I thought only nice people got flowers?” Law asked. He took it carefully, looking it over.

Ah, he didn’t think about that. Since it wasn’t a real flower, he wasn’t paying attention to what it could mean, but whatever, he’d totally give Torao a flower if he wanted one. Although, he couldn’t help but flush at the imagery and the tease.

“We had flowers like these in Flevance,” He twisted the white bloom in his hands. “They meant honesty and innocence, and as plentiful as they were, it’s a very delicate flower - very fitting, I suppose. It doesn’t grow easily here.” He hummed. “Guess that means I have to do something nice, then?”

Luffy shrugged, acting indifferent, but he really didn’t think it was working. He gathered all of his previous failures together and fiddled with them.

“How about some takeout?”

That perked him up. He’ll never say no to food. The doctor laughed at his expression and waved for him to come inside and pick a place.

Law had a whole drawer of menus for takeout, he wasn’t kidding when he said he didn’t cook much. He wasn’t home often enough to keep many perishables, and the restaurants he ordered from knew him by name.

While Law ordered a simple meal from the Asian-inspired cuisine, Luffy continued to add onto his with extra… extra everything. He could hardly wait, starving and impatient. They started up a marathon of some show on the television to distract him, but he was up and at the door as fast as lightning when it arrived.

Luffy grabbed at one of the dumplings with his chopsticks and ate it whole - or tried to, it was slightly too big and he found out that it was still really hot. So he breathed with his mouth to cool it down, chewed faster, and loudly because he couldn’t shut his mouth completely, and when it finally went down he thumped his chest because he could feel it as it descended.

Once that was done, he sighed, taking a few seconds to recover from almost choking. He stuck his tongue out at the face Torao was making at him; a sort of fascinated yet disgusted look. He went for another dumpling, the process repeating.

“It’s not going to magically be cool enough to eat in the _two seconds_ since you inhaled the last one!”

“It’s so good though!”

“You mean it’s in your mouth long enough to taste it?”

“These are like, my favorite.”

“You told me the beef was your favorite.”

“Torao,” He said seriously. “I cannot just choose one.”

“Somebody should check your head.”

“What’s your favorite food?”

Torao shrugged, bowl of noodles in his lap, chopsticks picking at the many sides they ordered to appease Luffy’s ravenous appetite. “I don’t know. I hate bread.”

“That’s… something.” Luffy replied. It was information that he liked to know, but not what he asked. He took another bite, chewed, swallowed. Tried to remember manners. “But what’s your _favorite?_ ”

“I don’t have one, really.”

“Okay, no. You have to.” At Torao’s rolled eyes, he assumed the doctor thought it was too frivolous a matter to worry about, but it was a super important concern! Luffy started to guess. “Barbecue? Chicken with the sauce on top?”

“You’re listing your own…”

“Is it some form of potato?” He said slowly, watching Torao as he delicately picked up a morsel of food to deliver to his mouth. He was adept at chopsticks, Luffy paid attention to what he chose but it was a bit of everything in no particular order he could see.

The doctor gave out an exasperated sigh. “No.”

Ah, so he’d chosen a food. Now Luffy’s real guessing game started. “A dessert?" Law shook his head. "A side dish?”

“Can be.”

“Is it boring?”

“What is your definition of boring?”

“Has no flavor of its own.”

“The word you're looking for is _bland…_ it can be a lot of flavors.”

“So it’s _bland._ ”

“You’re a dick.”

He snickered. This was fun, Torao was getting into it now too. “Is it a vegetable?”

“Nope.”

“Oh good. Hm.” Luffy frowned, thinking. Then he got an idea. “Is it on Sanji’s menu?” He’d seen Torao at Sanji’s restaurant often enough, the doctor clearly liked something (of course, everything Sanji made was good). He grinned in victory already when Torao reluctantly confirmed it was.

“You’ve memorized the whole damn menu, haven’t you?”

Oh, yeah he did. He started to list it all out, with Torao rolling his eyes and groaning across the table as he went on. He got about half-way through when he figured he knew the answer. “It’s rice. Those rice balls Sanji makes.”

Chuckling, Law nodded. “Surprised you got it. When I said I hated bread, I figured you’d guess I hated all wheat or grain related products.”

“Rice is a grain?”

“Seriously Luffy-ya!”

He laughed, Torao’s glare was fierce, but they finished their food in good spirits and it was afterwards that Luffy started to become aware of the time. It was dark, approaching nine, and if he was going to catch a bus back home, he’d need to leave soon. He wishes he could stay. Torao was finally smiling again, and while he loved his brothers dearly, they’d been going crazy cooped up in one place. Luffy had enough of playing games with Ace when he’d get angry about losing, enough of Sabo keeping him on a short leash so he didn’t cause trouble elsewhere.

He hadn’t seen his friends yet. Zoro had a kendo class early tomorrow that he wanted to see and it’s been forever since they sparred.

“Torao,” His name as well as the soft tone of voice got his attention. “Did you mean it when you said I could stay here?” His cheeks grew warm again. “I understand if you just said it ‘cause you were drunk, or just being polite, I just figured I’d ask. It really would be helpful and…”

“Yeah,” Law stood up with their dishes, the television behind them continuing onto another episode, even though they’d barely paid any attention to the ones before it, they’d been talking so much. “I meant it. It’s no trouble for you to stay, if you don’t mind the sleeper sofa.”

Those words made his stomach do flips in delight, but he still felt unsure. He couldn’t see Law’s face as he rinsed their plates, and with how Torao could hide his true feelings, he needed to know the man wasn’t just saying that for _his_ benefit. Following him into the kitchen, he put himself in front of the sink and tilted his head up to look intently at Torao’s eyes for anything hidden.

“You sure? I can find something, really. If you don’t want me here, I won’t be angry or nothin’ -”

Torao’s hand came up to cover his mouth suddenly. The touch startled him. “It’s fine, straw-hat-ya. Having someone here would be good, maybe I’ll come home more.” He smirked. “I have to worry about what state it’ll be in when I get back.”

Luffy glared petulantly, speaking up even though the hand covering his lips muffled the sound. Torao rolled his eyes and let go. “I’m not gonna break anything!”

“Oh, we’ll see.”

“I’m taking that as a challenge!”

That made Law laugh, and since they were still so close, Luffy could feel it within himself too. “You’re the worst.”

“You keep saying that!”

“It’s true, now move your ass.” Torao pushed him, one hand on the shoulder, just enough for Luffy to turn away. It made Luffy laugh, his stomach doing flips.

“Mean! If we’re gonna be roommates, you have to be nice!”

“I’ve already been nice today, I earned my flower.”

Returning to the living room, he couldn’t wipe the grin off his face, because now he could imagine many more days like this one, where they were comfortable enough to just exist in the same space. They could make each other laugh and cheer each other up, and -

Ah, damn. He forgot… Looking around, he finally found his phone.

> _Ace: WHY couldn’t you have taken your stupid_
> 
> _boxes out of the hallway before you left?_
> 
> _I keep running into them._
> 
> _Luffy: That’s not my fault._
> 
> _Maybe get glasses? :D_
> 
> _btw, I’m gonna live with Torao now!_
> 
> _Hey, is that moving too fast when you_
> 
> _like someone?_

“Luffy-ya,” He looked up when his name was called just in time to catch something Torao tossed to him. It was a key… “Don’t lose it, it’s the only spare I have. Though, Bepo, Peng, and Shachi all have one too. Unfortunately.”

He had his own key!

> _Ace: … WHAT?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The beginnings of domestic bliss. Ha. 
> 
> This chapter became a bit more filler-like than I wanted with all the dialogue, but I'll be able to move faster next chapter. Luffy is so sweet and he doesn't even try to be cute, he just IS! And he's got some interesting observations about Law.


	13. Sunrise - Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Living together was easier than expected.

The next day, Luffy went to see his friends, starting with Zoro at the dojo, then Chopper at school, Robin and Franky at the flower shop, Nami and Vivi at the latter’s headquarters where she ran a large agricultural company, and the others eventually throughout the day. Sanji ended up bringing back a lot of food and having a cookout in his apartment and Luffy was 100% content with catching up on all the time missed with his friends. 

They talked and partied all day, more people showing up as news of Luffy’s return spread and too soon the day came to an end, Zoro and Usopp volunteering to drive him back to his brothers sometime this week to get all his stuff. He’s been back to get a few clothes and a toothbrush since then, but until Ace’s old ‘fire fist’ sports car was released from storage and handed over to Luffy, he’ll be relying on public transportation and his friend’s generosity. 

It was a very distinctive car, along with the motorcycle. The paint job on both earned their name, so neither were taken along on their journeys (not that Ace could ride it for the first few months of his recovery anyway). Most of his friends had vehicles though, and they were happy to take him around when they could.

Although he had the chance to tell them about Torao over messages and calls while he was gone, and most of his friends had seen him at some point or another, none of them could really believe… well, first, that he  _ liked _ someone, and second, that he would take up the offer to stay with them.

He’d told them nothing happened between them (and tried not to blush at the fact that something  _ could _ have) to develop this relationship any further. “I’m staying with him as a  _ friend _ , and we’re not sleeping  _ together _ !”

Their faces were a blend of confusion, relief, suffering, and amusement. But whatever.

Turns out his brothers didn’t get it either. Sabo had been starting up a case he had leads on, so he’d been in and out of the house and the group chat, but he’d made his displeasure known. Torao was someone he’d never met, didn’t trust, and certainly didn’t approve of Luffy moving in with him. “ _ Especially since you like him! _ He could be taking advantage of you!”

Which was stupid. Torao wasn’t like that at all.

And Luffy was not the type of person who let that kind of thing happen. If there was anything he felt uncomfortable about, he said it. If he didn’t want to do something, he didn’t. It was hard to imagine Torao  _ coercing _ him to do anything (the man asked for nothing anyway), and if they clashed on anything it was something they worked out like adults.

One thing that came to mind was Luffy’s love of pizza and fast food. Apparently Torao didn’t like pizza (because  _ bread _ ) and as a cardiologist surgeon, he explained in excruciating detail the effect cholesterol had on the veins and heart - so at no point was he ever going to want the fat-dripping burgers and tacos Luffy would sometimes sneak in. 

His face of disgust and the “ _ Throw that away, right now _ ” was one of the only times Luffy had ever been so offended by him. And maybe he didn’t handle that like the adult he claimed to be. He ran off with his food the moment Torao reached for it like he was a dog caught with something he shouldn’t have. Throwing a tantrum and threatening Law’s secret coin collection was the only reason he had enough time to stuff the rest of the food down his throat and save it from Torao’s wrath.

They were at a stalemate at that point. Luffy was  _ going _ to eat burgers and tacos, they were delicious foods, and he had no will at all to hold back from them. Torao was not going to  _ tolerate _ them in his presence and no amount of pleading was going to change his opinion on that.

So, as of yet, Luffy could not see  _ how _ Torao could take advantage of him.

If anything, Luffy’s been the one taking advantage of all his time, the space he’s got, the food he  _ has _ gotten, and more. Law didn’t complain one bit when they went to the grocery store and loaded up on stuff. He switched some things out for having too much sodium and such - Luffy only ever saw Sanji read the nutritional value of things, but he wasn’t surprised Law would. But he  _ paid _ for it all even when Luffy said he’d get it - after all, Torao wasn’t going to eat nearly a third of it. 

Sabo was worried about him, he understood, both of his brothers looked twice at his friends, they just wanted to be sure they weren’t murderers or something. Some of his friends did tend to look the sort. 

If it was just a matter of meeting Torao and getting a feel for his character, then Ace had met the doctor already. “You know him! Tell Sabo its fine!”

“What? I mean, he saved my life… does that mean I have to like him?” Ace muttered. 

“Ace!”

“Alright, fine. He’s not bad.” He folded his arms and glared. “This is stupid though, just stay here.”

Oh, like suddenly Ace wanted to remain cooped up here too? “Ace,” He repeated, voice hissing. 

“Enough, you two,” Sabo interrupted. While Luffy and Ace had been on the couch bickering, Sabo had been standing in the living room looking on with a patent parental scowl. “Luffy, I know you want to be closer, but why don’t you spend the night on some friend’s couch instead until you can find a place?”

“That’s exactly what I’m  _ doing _ , Sabo!”

The man groaned, rubbing at his face. “You know what I mean.”

He didn’t really. Torao was his friend like any of the others were, he didn’t understand why it would be different because he had a crush on the guy. Even if they  _ got together _ and did whatever couples did, nothing would suddenly change the fundamental friendship it was all based on. He huffed. “I’ve decided. So there.”

Ace mimicked Sabo’s gesture, but they both knew how stubborn their youngest brother was, and as stubborn as they  _ all _ were, Luffy took the cake. 

The fighter was glad he hadn’t unpacked anything, not that he had much to begin with. Two boxes of things and two bags of clothes. That was it. Hard to accumulate much when he’s moved three times over the course of the year.

Settling in was no problem. All his stuff fit in the downstairs closet and with Law gone most of the day (sometimes not even coming home for the night), he had time to get used to everything. 

He’d never been a great cook, even if he ate a lot, so Sanji would often say he’d do the labor if Luffy provided the ingredients and shared the meal. Seemed like Penguin had a similar deal with Torao. Well, more like, Torao wouldn’t eat unless Penguin cooked something for him anyway. 

On some nights, the heart crew would spend their night off with food and games at Torao’s (Law complained that he saw them enough at work, yet he still allowed them free reign of his house for these parties). They’d have dinner; both Penguin and Shachi could cook, Ikkaku was horrible at it and should in no circumstances be allowed in the kitchen - she did make some amazing drinks though (spiked or not). Luffy fell in love with her hot chocolate, a secret recipe that had a kick of spice!

Uni won at all games; video games, cards, freaking paper-rock-scissors, as opposed to Jean Bart, who lost at all of them. 

They’d sit on the porch if it was warm enough and trade stories. Luffy was welcomed so easily among them and he was regaled with tales aplenty. Most of them absolutely hilarious.

“So, there’s our captain, covered in vomit, absolutely livid as this patient, with needle  _ still sticking out of his ass _ runs out of the room and down the hallway. Jean Bart gets to him just after he hits the glass doors, knocking himself out.”

“So much vomit. And shit. Nobody tells you in school how often you’d be covered in either.”

“I’m no longer surprised at the objects people will shove up their ass. Anything you can imagine!  _ Why?!” _

The emergency department was hardly ever dull, that’s for sure. Torao said he much preferred scheduled outpatient services where it was more predictable, but good trauma surgeons were hard to come by; even becoming as specialized as he was, which brought value to the hospital, many times he was still needed in other areas.

The heart crew was nice to be around, and he could tell how much he loved their “captain” as they put it. It’s no wonder why; Torao helped them achieve their dreams, advocated for them, and helped them excel in their work. Each member of the team played a crucial role, all had their own talents and quirks, but they fit like puzzle pieces.

Luffy’s friends were similar. An outsider wouldn’t think they’d had anything in common, but they all considered each other family. 

Luffy knew Zoro from school, the man surrounded and outnumbered by guys who picked a fight. The kendo master didn’t show fear and held his ground amazingly, but when it looked like he was overwhelmed - two people behind him to trap him in a hold, another guy in front throwing punches into his unprotected torso - Luffy joined in. Zoro was rough around the edges, but Luffy’s loyalty and spirit inspired him; the two of them balanced each other. Luffy was loud and reckless where Zoro was quiet and grounded.

He met Usopp and Nami in school as well. The former in art class, the later after he’d accidentally ruined her bike and became indebted to her… which he never seemed to get out of. 

Sanji should be obvious: Luffy begged for food, Sanji gave him food, Luffy made Sanji his friend. Although, his rivalry with Zoro helped, as well as his friendship with  _ Nami-swan _ whom he was fixated on and treated like a goddess. 

Robin too, once Luffy rescued her from some jackass named Crocodile who blackmailed her. He was a boxer like Luffy and defeating him put her in a particularly unfavorable position. If he’d known all that before hand, he would have relished beating him up even more, but as it was, he still enjoyed the victory. It helped some of his other friends too.

All of them had their own dreams and passion, and coming together helped them get closer to achieving them. Their friendships were tested under fire too, which also might be why they were so close.

He remembered how badly he wanted Torao and his friends to feel comfortable with each other, so the first big moment that they all hung out gave Luffy a surprising amount of anxiety for some reason. He didn’t know why he was so concerned, his friends loved Law!

Zoro and Torao bonded quickly, and apparently they vaguely knew of each other from kendo. Luffy didn’t even know Torao had practiced kendo! He wanted to see the doctor fighting with a sword!

Brooke looked through his music collection and deemed that Torao had good taste, then went on to play from his violin a piece of music that Torao evidently knew from said collection. That was that. Luffy liked the look in Torao’s eyes when he listened to his friend play, and all Brooke needed was someone to enjoy his performance.

With Franky, Torao clearly admired his handy skills, and when Torao purposely introduced him to Uni, the spark of inventions between them and Usopp hit new levels. As Luffy understood it, Usopp had the imagination, Franky had the skills to make it, and Uni had the ability to bring it to life with code and software. The brain to the robots and such Franky loved to create. 

Then there was Nami, who huffed and called Torao a ‘ _ sugar daddy’ _ \- which caused the man to choke on his drink, Franky and Zoro to laugh for a straight five minutes, Robin to say ‘oh my…’ with a weird smile on her face, Usopp went green, and Chopper (much like Luffy) just looked confused. 

“What’s a sugar daddy?”

“Don’t - you - that’s - shut the fuck up!” He’d never seen Torao so red.

“Don’t answer that!”

“I’m just saying!”

“Like she doesn’t have Vivi Nefertari…”

“Yohohoho!”

“Guys, I don’t get it.”

“Does Torao have kids?”

“No! No! We are not having this conversation!”

“Hm, doth protest too much, methinks.”

“Damn, you are a mean witch.”

“Don’t say that about Nami!”

“Torao, your face is suuuuper red!”

“I hate all of you.”

Of course, Robin and Torao already got along, no surprise. Their book discussions and swaps happened more frequently and at the little parties they had.

Torao liked to read a lot. It seemed like he was always researching something, anything to help him become a better doctor, but also because he enjoyed learning. A lot like Chopper in that aspect and when the two of them met, Luffy was almost jealous of the way they acclimated to each other. Chopper admired him, asked a million questions, and Torao was interested in hearing about the apothecary his father, Dr. Hiriluk, had that Chopper wanted to take over some day.

There were long discussions, books traded, plans made for Chopper to see the inner workings of the Polar Tang Hospital and for a look through Dr. Hiriluk’s old notes to discover how certain medicines were developed and proven to work. 

Luffy didn’t understand much of it, but sometimes Torao brought back something that had nothing to do with science, like a book on recipes from around the world that they’d try to make. Often times it came at the cost of a wrecked kitchen, but they’ve done two recipes so far and Luffy thought it was the best thing ever.

All in all, over a month of living with Torao and he had zero complaints! 

He cleaned up after himself, after all, his room was more of a community space, so he couldn’t just leave things all over the place. Signing up with the MMA program with Nami’s help put him back on the schedule for fights, so he’s been using the mornings to run around the lake (with Torao if he was available). The gym wasn’t far from the Hospital actually, so if Law was working the morning shift, Luffy would hitch a ride and walk a block or two down. 

By the time he was done, hours later, the house would still be all to himself so he’d be able to take a shower without worrying about hot water (a first for him). He still hadn’t tried to take up a job at the reserve yet, wanting to get back into his routine slowly and focus on his fights first.

Living with Torao was great, but… he noticed a couple things. 

Torao had nightmares. 

In the middle of the night, Luffy would wake up to muffled sounds upstairs. One time, it sounded like Torao had fallen out of bed. Sometimes, he’d hear faint cries. Luffy would always get up when this happened. He’d stand at the bottom of the stairs, listening intently, fighting with himself to go up and see him.

The first time it happened, Luffy had gone up, calling Torao’s name. But when he got to the master bedroom, the bathroom door was already shutting in his face. There was no response to his knocking, and the message was clear. So, he remained at the bottom of the stairs, chest aching with every noise he heard. Until it went silent again and Luffy would return to his bed.

Most of the time, after Torao’s had a bad night, he’d come down the stairs quietly and go for a run. Luffy didn’t join him on those, knowing Law wanted to be alone. And if Torao knew he’d been woken up by the nightmare as well it would make him sad, so Luffy pretended to sleep as the doctor sneaked by.

Those nights weren’t terribly frequent; twice a month so far. But that was enough for Luffy to worry. No wonder Torao always looked like he never had any sleep! It looked like even when he wasn’t woken by terrible nightmares he had trouble getting a whole eight hours - hell, Luffy had counted, and he was lucky to get six!

It was something he tentatively brought up to Robin, knowing she’d have the discretion and knowledge to help out with it. She told him about night terrors and PTSD - something she wasn’t surprised Law would have, being from Flevance - and treatments for both. “Being that Torao is a doctor, I’m sure he knows all of this too. If he’s seeked help, it’s likely that the methods he’s tried are not efficient at solving the problem. Or perhaps these things are tricky enough to not have a solution for. Unfortunately, there is no cure for such ailments.”

_ Sometimes, they never go away, and you learn to live with them. _

At least Luffy understood a bit more where Law’s issues stemmed from, he just wished he could do something more. When Luffy was in the hospital, drowning under all those emotions, panicking and struggling to breathe, crying - Torao was there to comfort him. He made things  _ better, _ even if it didn’t always stop them. Just having his hand to hold; a life-line in the middle of the sea. Hearing his voice; talking him through sensations and getting him back to reality.

Even now! Luffy hasn’t had a panic attack in all this time yet, but it felt like every doubt he did have, Torao was there to counter it. The fighter still struggled with guilt and sometimes he was too harsh on himself over things he had no control over. While he was gone over the last year Sanji had a run-in with his abusive father and siblings that he hadn’t seen in a decade. The altercation wasn’t big, and the others were there to support Sanji, but he learned that the cook was depressed over it for some time.

He didn’t know about it until now. He missed such a big moment in which his friend suffered and he wasn’t there.

Torao was the one to take him out for a midnight jog around the lake. They talked. Luffy cried. And they both sprinted down the tracks to burn enough energy so that it felt like all of his anger drained out of him. 

Torao didn’t have any of that... wouldn’t it have helped? If Luffy could hold his hand, or if Law would talk to him about it? Maybe it was like with Cora and Torao was overthinking things and being stupid. Luffy would tell him. But Torao just hid from him.

Until he couldn’t.

A loud shattering sound disturbed the silence and it woke Luffy up with a startle. 

At first, he wondered if it was a dream, then wondered if there was someone in the kitchen, but when he heard a  _ thump _ from upstairs, he realized where it came from. Never before had he heard that sound during Torao’s worst nights.

His anxiety suddenly gave him a surge of adrenaline and he leaped from his sleeper sofa to run up the stairs, calling Torao’s name as he went. He thought of waking up to crackling fire and black smog, Ace nowhere to be seen, finding him and losing him -

He took the stairs two at a time and charged through the master’s bedroom door. There was Torao, sitting up in bed, breathing harshly, no - gasping for breath like he was choking. He was crying when he finally saw his face, the doctor looking up at him as the door rebounded from the wall after its harsh shove. 

Luffy was confused, scared, he took a step forward and Law made some kind of protesting noise. He didn’t understand what it was supposed to mean, but in the next second he was hissing between his teeth. A sharp pain in his heel stopped his advancement immediately and he lifted his foot up to see what he’d stepped on. Shards of some white ceramic littered the ground.

He noticed the shade and cord and recognized it as a lamp that normally sat on Law’s nightstand. That was where the noise came from. The doctor must have flailed in his sleep and knocked it over.

Luffy looked up to see Torao shuffling on the bed, tears being wiped away and breathing forcefully evened out. 

“Don’t move,” Law ordered, his voice weak and watery.

Luffy ignored that, looked at clear spaces along the way, and tip-toed through the area. He walked slowly, his left foot protesting every step and he was bleeding, but he didn’t think it was deep enough to really worry. 

Law didn’t think so though. “Luffy-ya!”

But he was already at the bedside, pulling himself up to sit next to him. There wasn’t much time for Law to compose himself from what must have been a nightmare, and seeing Torao cry like that was painful. He reached out to touch, but Law pulled away.

“I’m fine! I don’t need to be coddled!”

So Luffy just braced an arm beside him, shoulders brushing. He looked at the mess on the ground and waited for Law to calm.

It was understandable. Luffy didn’t like feeling confined when he had an episode; he already felt like he was drowning, so he didn’t need anything to constrict him even more. And he always felt so weak and powerless through the storm, holding on and waiting for it to pass, wishing he’d been more prepared and could brave it better.

He didn’t want Torao to feel like that, but there wasn’t much he could do but sit there and wait, supporting the man by being there. He wasn’t alone at least. Slowly, he heard the man’s breathing come to a reasonable rhythm, and his sniffles came to a stop. Luffy could feel him move behind him, running fingers through his hair and rubbing his cheeks to rid of tears.

“How’s your foot?” He finally asked, and Luffy raised it up to look, both of them seeing a small cut just at the outer edge of his left heel. “I have a first aid kit in the closet, go get that and I’ll clean this up.”

Luffy moved, careful to skirt around and watch where he stepped but the closet was in the opposite direction of where the lamp shattered, so he was clear for the most part. He heard Law picking at the pieces, gathering chunks. The first aid kit was easy to spot on the dresser directly to the left of the walk-in closet. It was a bright red bag with a cross on it, a decent size, not a normal everyday bag he was sure. Fitting for a surgeon.

He came back to see Torao sweeping up any leftover pieces. He sat back down, watching him throw it away and come back with a bottle of peroxide. Torao looked so tired, his hair all over the place, cheeks red from scrubbing at them. But the presence of a patient in need of tending to, funny enough, seemed to help him. It was a distraction and an excuse to put on his professional persona. 

Luffy was actually glad for it, it meant that Torao couldn’t run off into the bathroom or go for a jog. Here, kneeling in front of Luffy to get at his foot, the situation was suddenly a lot more real. 

Torao knew that Luffy knew.

Torao was dreading what Luffy would do about it. Push him to talk? Ask him the obvious questions?

Luffy knew those courses of action would be a mistake. He didn’t want to treat this revealed sense of vulnerability with entitlement to answers. If Torao  _ wanted _ to talk, then Luffy would listen, he thought it would help, but at the very least, he just wanted Law to know he  _ could _ .

Making short work of cleaning and placing a band-aid on Luffy’s injury, he packed up the supplies he used slowly. As he was kneeling on the floor, he was shorter than Luffy was on the bed. It made it easy for Luffy to reach over to run fingers through the man’s hair.

He’d been wanting to touch it ever since that first time. He was starting to think he went crazy, because he remembered the texture of the strands but it was so different than normal. The doctor’s hair was soft and wispy in his hands and Luffy liked the feel of it between his fingers. It was so different from his own thick, coarse hair that was so hard to manipulate into doing anything other than lie flat.

Torao froze, legs folded under him and first aid kit on his lap. Both hands were full and with his head bowed, Luffy couldn’t see his expression. He didn’t need to though; the man was slowly melting into it, shoulders relaxing in increments as Luffy put both hands on Torao’s head. 

He leaned forward and gently pulled at Torao to get their heads to meet. They weren’t quite at eye-to-eye, but more like Luffy was putting his nose into the fluff. “Wanna go play video games?” He asked. The topic not pertaining to anything regarding the nightmare or panic attack. “I’ll help you make a character for the fantasy game we play, you’ll be so badass we could finally beat level seventy-four.”

There was a long moment of silence in which his words registered. Nothing about the recent events. No pressure to explain or confess. Another wet sniffle as Torao breathed in shakily, and Luffy could feel the movement under his hands. There was a muffled chortle. “You’re ridiculous.”

“I’ll show you where to find a legendary sword,” Luffy said in a singing voice, like he was trying to make a tempting offer. His lips brushed the doctor’s scalp as he spoke and the hairs tickled, light like feathers on his skin. “It’s a cursed sword named Kikoku and even Zoro is wary of it. It’s one of those super long katanas, I forget the name, but like, longer than you are tall, and it looks hilarious -”

“Alright, alright,” Law started to pull away, and Luffy pouted as his fingers were forced to leave the nest of hair. But the sight of Torao’s eyes, a spark of life inside them again, made it all ok. “I’ll make some coffee, we’ll play this game of yours.”

Luffy smiled; softly, victoriously.

It was still an early hour to be awake, still dark outside. The television screen blinded them the first moment it was turned on, but with coffee and excitement, they woke up enough to actively play. In all the time Luffy, Shachi, his friends - everyone basically, had played this game, Law had stubbornly resisted, choosing to watch from the sidelines.

Now, he was building his own character. He chose his class as a healer, but his ability to deal damage was high. They sat side-by-side on the couch, both with a controller in hand, and Luffy was simultaneously awed and affronted that Torao was already good at this game. 

“I’ve been watching you for a month and a half - and Shachi played this game longer than that.”

“But  _ you’ve _ never played!”

“Where’s that sword?”

“Ugh!”

It helped. Luffy knew it did. Law relaxed in his seat next to him and their shoulders brushed every now and then, and Torao laughed in between sipping his coffee and kicking Luffy’s ass on screen.

When it came time for their normal morning routine, they set out to jog together at a calm pace, Luffy made them breakfast (cereal), and hitched a ride with Torao to the hospital. They parted at the doors and while the doctor still looked tired from lack of sleep, he didn’t look as  _ haunted _ . 

The day went on as normal; maybe even counted as a  _ good  _ day. He had energy to spare and the spirits to train extra hard. He sent a text to the doctor when he got on the scale. Since his readmission to the MMA championships, he had to be sure he was in the right weight class. He needed to gain ten pounds if he wanted to qualify for the fights, and gaining weight was always harder than losing it for Luffy. Despite how much he ate, his short stature and metabolism made it difficult.

But today, he reached that goal. 

“Yeah! Zoro! Zoro, look!” He jumped up and down, making the weighing scale sway with him. “Finally!”

Ah, he could finally get back into it. He just had to keep it up and practice until his first match, which wouldn’t be long now.

His friends and the heart crew got together that night, not for long, but they all decided to meet at a diner/bar where they could eat and drink a bit. Law, still in his scrubs, was the second to bow out (Chopper being first), and Luffy once again went with, putting up a token protest. Both were tired, he didn’t mind turning in early.

But as he settled in and reviewed the day in his mind, he came up with an idea.

The lights were off, Torao had showered and was in bed, and Luffy could listen for slight movements upstairs and know when the doctor fell asleep. It was difficult to stay awake until then; the fighter’s eyelids were heavy and the bed was so comfortable, but the moment he thought it was safe, he moved to get up.

He dragged his pillow and blanket with him and tip-toed up the stairs. At the door, which was cracked and not fully closed, he started to have second thoughts. Maybe in another light, this could be considered creepy. He hesitated.

Then figured, what the hell, it wouldn’t hurt to try. 

He opened the door quietly and peeked in. In the darkness, he could see the doctor curled up under the covers, still. Luffy’s eyes travelled the room, seeing the clear floor space next to the bed where the lamp broke that morning. 

Slowly, so he didn’t make any sound, he lowered himself to the ground and laid out on the carpet. He was a couple feet away from the bed, unable to see Torao directly from this angle, but he was confident that he’d be able to hear if the man had any more nightmares. This close, he’d know sooner than he did before when they started, and if the book he read and the research Robin did held any accuracy, he could softly bring Law out of those dreams. It was possible, that even without waking the victim up, the dream could be disrupted.

He wouldn’t know unless he tried. Even if it failed, he’d be here to support Torao like he had this morning. 

Oh! He could fake an injury? Maybe Torao would be distracted and go to treat him again?

Eh, but that wouldn’t work more than once.

He looked to the ceiling, listening to the soft breaths of himself and Torao, and slowly fell to slumber. He’d wake up and leave before Torao knew he was here in the morning.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another Luffy chapter! This needed to be done and I loved finally getting to that ending scene that I've been trying to arrive at for 2 chapters. Ha. 
> 
> No worries, Law will be back for the next chapter and - finally - a bit of some Ace and Sabo interactions.


	14. Sunrise - Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Law contemplates on peace and quiet; and how much he misses it. But there is one trade off that makes it worth it.

Despite being the one to offer Luffy a place to stay for however long he'd need, he wasn't quite sure how he'd handle a roommate encroaching into his private space. Law's come to the realization that peace and quiet were important after spending so long in the hectic environment such as a hospital. He certainly didn't want to come home to more chaos.

And Luffy was the embodiment of chaos.

But Luffy wasn't actually bad to live with, it just took some getting used to. In the beginning he'd forget about it until he came home to someone else in the house. He tried to be conscious of Luffy's schedule, since Law would leave and come back at all random hours. If he was on call or worked late, he'd be sneaking in at 1am or leaving at 4.

He had to adjust to things that didn't belong to him strewn about; games, clothes, exercise/ training gear. Luffy's idea of  _ cleaning _ meant 'shove everything in the closet or in a pile' but so long as Law didn't trip over anything or have it in his own personal space, he didn't actually care. Luffy didn't own a lot of things anyway and the only thing that annoyed him were the blankets and couch he'd leave unfolded and messy.

He noticed that he ate more than he normally did with a roommate. Penguin said he had no excuse now, since there was always food in the house. Obviously, Luffy had a special relationship with food; there was nothing he hated to eat, and meals were treated as a planned, mostly social, gathering. He claimed that food made everyone happy, and he's taken to giving Law something to eat when he got "too grumpy" like it would cure him of anger.

That brat... he hated to admit it but it kind of worked.

Nothing cheered him up like coffee and Luffy was catching on quick to the types of foods he liked. He didn't know why it mattered so much, but if the fighter considered it so important then it didn't hurt to go along. That's why he bought the recipe book from the store. While it wasn't something Law would have ever gotten for himself, or even cared to read about, he just... thought it would be appreciated and he wanted to give something back.

Luffy was too nice.

Not in the 'kind/selfless person' way. Luffy was a jerk quite frequently and more ornery than anyone else Law has met. If he wanted something, he'd find a way to get it. Rarely was Law able to change his opinion on something, even though for the most part Luffy went with the flow.

But he also did things Law didn't ask him to and showed a great amount of consideration.

The coffee, jogs, the way he waited for him, the fact that now cooking from the recipe book was their  _ thing _ . Like a date.

There was a stupid origami flower on his car's dashboard sometimes after taking Luffy with him in the mornings. It was ridiculous and if he thought about it too deeply he'd wonder if Luffy was manipulative enough to consciously use positive reinforcement training exercises. That Luffy gave him gifts of coffee and folded paper as rewards for being nice or not-grumpy. He...

He didn't hate it. 

It was just all so suddenly in his face 24/7. Luffy barged into everything like a wrecking ball. A bull in a china shop. Nights with his crew were never as lively before, Shachi and Ikkaku loved the social little butterfly who danced and sang and acted stupid with them - and pulled Law into the mess.

Although he thought he heard Jean Bart give a shovel talk to Luffy once and Uni signed something vaguely horrifying and threatening that got the point across clearly, Luffy took it in stride.

It was embarrassing that everyone knew he liked Luffy. Even  _ Luffy  _ knew he liked Luffy...

In other situations, Law would have pursued that interest. On the rare occasions that Law decided to date someone, that interest was a hot flame that kept him interested for a period of time but would eventually go out. What he had with Luffy was different; warm, like red-hot coals searing and lasting.

He felt no need to chase it, in fact, Law was almost afraid of it because for the first time he feared that he could get burned. A flame was so easy to see and avoid, Law was used to it. With coals, it wasn't always clear how hot they were, and in actuality the heat was far higher in temperature inside. If he disturbed those coals, what could happen? Would it get snuffed out or spread embers and catch fire?

He couldn't help but think of that analogy when faced with the development of this strange relationship and the possible/ unknown consequences of making a definitive move kept him from doing so.

Luffy acted like everything was normal and natural. Like his touches weren't lingering, like giving a man flowers weren't indicative of something more, like he didn't sit closer or speak softer to him than everyone else. It drove Law mad because just when he'd think Luffy didn't know or understand, that Law should forget about it because that's just who Luffy  _ was  _ \- he'd get this look.

Luffy could be terrifyingly intense sometimes. His eyes could get sharp and Law knew he was a lot smarter than he considered himself to be (or others underestimated him to be). There's no way he didn't  _ know _ what he was doing when he caressed Law's hair or brought their foreheads together to look Law in the eyes and claim they were beautiful.

It was ridiculous. Law couldn't handle moments like that, his heart would skip a beat, and he’d think of Shachi's romantic novels, remembering how he mimicked vomiting at similar scenes but -

It was impossible to shake it off as sappy and pathetic when Luffy did it. 

Their friends didn't help. Bepo acted like they were already  _ together _ , making plans that involved them both. Penguin gave him advice that he didn't ask for and Shachi squealed like a teenage girl over it and hugged them like it was a congratulations. Also, he got looks - ranging from shock to amusement to suffering - from Luffy's friends.

Their expressions told the whole story every time Luffy did something in their presence (because of course he wouldn't think to censor himself in public). And like Nami had pointed out rather bluntly and rudely, their interactions did seem rather peculiar with the way Law was, in a sense,  _ providing _ for Luffy. If one wanted to look at it that way.

To Law, it was a lot more complicated than that.

All in all, Luffy wasn't hard to live with. But there were still moments that Law enjoyed being alone, which Luffy didn't seem to get the concept of. Hell, the guy has been caught sleeping on his  _ floor _ , and Law has considered many reasons why over the course of the  _ four times _ he's caught him there. Sleep-walking? Being a creep?

The first time, he woke the man up gently, ensuring he was ok, but by this point he just throws his pillow at the sleeping man's face - because the horrible lie Luffy tells every time is ridiculous: "I just decided to sleep on the floor... here. Cause the couch was... uncomfortable."

When Law tells Bepo about it, voice changing pitch in mimicry, the man asked if Luffy just didn't want to sleep alone. "Sometimes, it helps with nightmares to know someone is nearby. Like when we lived together, it helped right?"

In general, it did. It meant that the few nightmares Law did have were witnessed, and Bepo definitely knew intimate details of his trauma by the end of it. But half of his night terrors involved him being alone so it helped to see someone around that he trusted could protect him. It also made sense that Luffy would want to sleep nearby if that were the case for him; maybe he'd been having dreams of the fire again.

But then that thought backfired. Because while he hadn't heard Luffy having nightmares, he couldn't say the same for himself. There was a pattern lately, where he came out of his nightmares so early that he'd wake up without screaming or crying, swearing that he heard his name called but at times, seeing Luffy on the floor asleep.

Or pretending to be. Luffy breathed heavily in his sleep, so Law wasn’t unaware of the fact that he’d pretend to be out by the time Law would leave for a jog to clear his head. He knew. 

Luffy was kind though: he didn’t push. If the idiot wanted to sleep on his floor to wake him up or be there for Law’s night terrors then… to each their own. Law already knew the guy was crazy. Law had been managing his issues long before Luffy was there to ‘help’ him. For the most part, all Law needed was a time to reflect, to calm his mind and do something relaxing, alone.

Like reading books in silence, appreciating the submerged feeling that came from being in his home. He was glad to get that back, where as before it felt isolated and lonely.

Even when Luffy was quiet, playing a video game or something while Law did his own thing; it was peaceful, but Law didn't get the full effect of decompressing as he did when it was just him. So he looked forward to the few times it happened, and currently, Luffy was out at the MMA HQ getting the final check and weigh-in for a match scheduled for tomorrow.

Law knew how badly Luffy has been looking forward to this. The fighter wanted to get back on track to fulfill his dream and do what he was best at, and he’d been training for weeks. It was all Law heard about, and he was looking forward to seeing it, though he couldn’t be there in person. 

While Luffy was out, he had the chance to curl up on the sofa and read a horror novel Robin recommended, intrigued about the developments within and ready to continue to the next chapter, Law opened the book to the bookmarked page.

Of course, that would be the moment someone arrived at his door. 

Hardly anyone ever used the front door and if they did, they usually had a key. So Law was prepared to greet the guest, accept some package, or refuse a sales pitch, whatever, but when he opened the door to see Ace D. Portgas, he knew the book would have to wait longer still. Although, he wasn’t too particularly bummed by it, this would be just as interesting. 

He’d barely seen the brothers since Luffy’s move in. Ace was seen around the hospital with Marco, but Law only knows the middle sibling’s name was Sabo and that he had blonde hair… and he was apparently super busy. 

A check in from the brothers was not a surprise, even a bit overdue.

“Portgas,” He said. 

“Is Luffy here?” The man replied. Not much of a hello, and Law would be surprised if Ace was not made aware of the impending match.

“No…”

“Can I come in?” 

It was clear, from the moment that Law first spoke with the man after the fire, that Ace was rough around the edges. Not that Law had any right to complain when he himself was so prickly. The man was direct, never shying away from the harsh truth and difficult obstacles he’d face after the accident. Law admired how well he adjusted - even if he got impatient with his recovery speed, he could recognize the same drive he saw in Luffy to continue trying.

There was only a short amount of time that Law spent with him while conscious, but he knew enough. Ace wasn’t truly  _ asking _ to come in, just as he knew that Luffy wasn’t home. Law didn’t say anything though, simply standing aside to let him pass.

Ace entered the foyer and looked around with his hands in his jean pockets casually, the living room to the right, stairs to the left. He peeked up to the second floor and swung around to follow the railing as it overlooked the space, loft just beyond it. “Nice place. Why do you have such a big house when you live alone?” He asked bluntly.

“Cause I have a lot of money,” Law replied dryly. If he thought this was big... wait till he learned that Law downsized. “It’s still a one bedroom. And before you ask, Luffy sleeps there.”

Ace followed to where he pointed, back to the living room where the couch was a mess of sheets and pillows that Luffy haphazardly piled up. At least he folded the bed back into its proper place. 

The older brother walked around it, like he was checking to see that it was used. He found the bathroom under the stairs and could determine by Luffy’s toothbrush that he did not share with Law there either.

The doctor would have rolled his eyes and laughed but really… he saw the meaning behind it. Luffy was the youngest of the three and Law already had the impression that he was protected -  _ how  _ could anyone remain so innocent if they hadn’t been?

And he was wondering what he’d do to vet out any suitors Lami would have had. It’s hard to imagine, considering she died so young, but she’d be twenty years old by now. Law would be overprotective of her too.

Law left him to snoop, heading back to the kitchen to get his coffee. Honestly, he found the situation humorous, and hearing doors and drawers open and shut made him chuckle.

“You know, Luffy has so many friends it’s hard to keep up,” Ace stated as he walked into the kitchen, scowl on his face and arms crossed. “I don’t remember half their names and Luffy will chat my ear off about them all for a hot minute and then I’ll never hear of them again, so generally I don’t even care.”

“Sounds like him.”

“Yeah, the idiot never got the concept of stranger-danger no matter how many times I tried to knock it into his thick head.”

“He’s very naive and trusting.”

Ace almost looked annoyed at the fact that Law was agreeing with him. “Exactly! So, I try to at least remember the ones he talks about  _ more _ than once. Like the ones he calls his crew, all the normal friends of his that are weird, but whatever - not an issue.”

“Sure.”

“But  _ you _ ,” There was the accusation. “He keeps talking about.”

“I… apologize?”

“For some damn reason he  _ likes _ you,” Ace was pacing the kitchen now, looking like an angry dragon. “And not just as friends, you know that right?”

Wow, Law really did have to hand it to these brothers for just blurting it all out there without any kind of decorum or filter. While Law figured he would run into this conversation sooner or later, it was a little soon for his liking. “I’ve gotten that impression, yes.”

“Right, well, that’s a  _ first _ . And now he’s living with you!”

“To be fair, I’m not quite sure he’s the victim here.”

Ace stared for a second, wide eyed. Then his anger broke to make way for a snicker. “You’re probably right.” 

Law leaned over the island, sipping from his cup of coffee. “Did you want some?”

“Coffee? Nah,” But he did start his investigation of the kitchen. “At least there’s food.”

“He eats a lot.”

“Yeah.” Ace inspected the pantry, a walk-in with floor to ceiling shelves that Law had never seen so full. He heard an awed whistle at the state of the stock. Law was sure it would be empty in a week. “Hey, have you ever been to jail?” 

“What?”

“Those tats aren’t the kind of thing prissy boys from fancy-doctor schools get. So did you do time or something before?”

“I’m sorry to disappoint, but no.” Law chuckled. “However, I was arrested for vandalism and assault, so I don’t have a squeaky-clean record.”

“I’d be suspicious if you did.” The man was still in the pantry, messing with stuff, and when he came back out, there were bags of snacks in his arms. The firefighter joined in slouching against the counter on the other side, stuffing some kind of food into his mouth in a very familiar manner. “What about family?”

Law scoffed when he saw what the man was eating, leaning over to take away the bag of chips. “You’re supposed to be on a low-fat diet.”

Frozen in surprise, Ace looked up at the doctor, offended. “Who told you that?”

“Nobody needed to, I’m a  _ cardiologist _ , but also, Marco did say in his last update that you were switched to fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and  _ low-fat _ foods.”

“You talk to Marco?”

“Yes. He messaged me a lot in the beginning, we both worked out a care plan for you.”

“The exercise thing too?”

“Cardiac rehabilitation, yes.” Law turned around to dig into the fridge for something more appropriate, and sat down an apple, an orange, and a bunch of bananas. Typically, Luffy didn’t touch the stuff, but Law liked to take something quick and easy to eat out the door. He smirked at Ace’s face as he sat the fruit in front of him. “I have more.”

The man scowled. “Aren’t you supposed to try and win my favor?”

“Luffy and I are not dating,” Law stated slowly. He didn’t not know how to be more clear.

“Yet,” Ace muttered angrily. “Like he won’t make a move eventually.”

Law’s mouth gaped for a moment, and Ace took the bag of chips back. “Just a handful.”

“Marco said no.”

“He’s not here, and I said y-”

The man stopped mid-sentence, eyes rolling back in his head, body suddenly collapsing to the floor.

It was so quick and the man hit the kitchen floor audibly. Law jumped, breath caught in surprise. He called Ace’s name, wondering if he just fell or something, but there was no reply and in two seconds he was around the island, kneeling next to the prone body, feeling for a pulse at the neck.

Lifted an eyelid to check dilation. Shook the man’s shoulder lightly.

“What the fuck, what the fuck,” Law chanted, thinking of all the things that could have happened. Maybe he had a heart attack, his pulse was almost sluggish, the mechanical valve could be malfunctioning -

He ran to his room full-tilt, snatching his first aid kit and stethoscope and sprinting back down to where the man lay passed out cold on the kitchen floor. He popped open the first few buttons of the man’s shirt to reveal the old surgical scar, placing his end piece along the chest to hear if there was anything different but -

Ace’s eyes snapped open and his body sat up with a jerk, all in one fast movement that frightened Law so bad that he screeched. 

“What?” Ace asked, eyes blinking slowly. “I didn’t catch that.”

Breathing fast, still recovering from the scare, Law snapped. “What the hell, Portgas-ya?!”

“Why are you yelling?”

“Why are you  _ fainting _ ?”

“I didn’t.” The frown that he had on his face cleared in sudden understanding. “Oh, I have narcolepsy. Didn’t you know that,  _ doctor who knows everything _ ?”

He did… faintly. It wasn’t a serious case, he wasn’t an expert in neurological disorders, he wasn’t expecting a cataplexy episode. Forcefully, Law tried to calm himself, standing up and throwing his stethoscope onto the island counter with a huff. “You and your brother are so annoying!”

And that caused Ace to laugh like it was a compliment. “Anyway, how long was I out?”

“Long enough, get out.”

Grinning roguishly, Ace told him in a haughty tone that he’d take that coffee now and continued to laugh at the doctor’s expression. “Yeah, yeah. I’m actually supposed to tell you that Luffy wants a celebratory dinner at Sanji’s.”

“What? No-”

“He said you couldn’t say no, ‘cause there would be rice balls. Or some shit. Also, I need a ride there.”

“How did you get here?”

A bike. Which Ace wasn’t supposed to ride. Law rolled his eyes but begrudgingly went to get ready, as he still wore his scrubs. Before he turned the corner to head up the stairs Ace said; “Watch over my brother yeah? Just know I’m keeping my eye on you, so keep your hands to yourself.”

“Don’t fall asleep or you’ll miss something,” Law returned, giving the man the middle finger and a smirk.

There was a bunch of cursing and threatening from downstairs but Law didn’t fully hear and Ace had laughed anyway, so he didn’t think he was in too much trouble for being a snarky asshole.

One down...

The last of the brothers Law met was a lot different from what he expected. First, when Ace and him arrived, Luffy and most of his crew were already there. The fighter launched himself at them, and Law had a split second of dodging left or right before turning to brace himself for the inevitable. Luffy had already caught him in a hug at that point. His arms wrapped around Law’s neck and the doctor reflexively returned the embrace around his waist because Luffy was airborne. His feet didn’t touch the ground and all of his weight - perfect weight to place in the match tomorrow - all 135 pounds (63kg), hung around Law’s shoulders.

It wasn’t heavy, but it was warm and he was blushing, and Luffy was rubbing his cheek against his own and the fuzzy hat he wore. “I got in!”

“Luffy-ya,” He complained. 

The bubbly man let go and launched himself at Ace instead. “I’m so gonna kick Lucci’s ass tomorrow!”

“Yeah, yeah, where’s the food? I’m starving. The doctor refused to feed me.”

Said doctor scoffed. 

“You’re Torao?”

Ah, despite the vast difference in complexion, eye color, hair color, and stature, Law took a look at the man before him and could tell that he was the middle sibling to complete the trio. How?

Maybe because his handshake was tight, or the way his smile was more like a baring of teeth, and his eyes flickered from Luffy to Law and back. “Luffy, you didn’t tell me what his real name was.”

“Trafalgar, Law.” It was the first time one of Luffy’s friends didn’t accept the nickname  _ Torao _ .

“Sorry to have not met you until now, Dr. Law. Thank you for saving my brothers.” That at least was sincere, but this man felt a bit off. Either Law was already extremely disliked or Sabo had a habit of treating everyone with thinly veiled aversion. He was very polite compared to the other two, diplomatic and charismatic in a way that made Law wary; his face was hard to read.

Luffy pulled Law to sit beside him on the outside of the long table that could seat fifteen people. Ace was to the right of Luffy, and Zoro was on Torao’s left. He was thankful to be closer to someone he could get along with. Zoro was in a boisterous mood, usually only happening if he was drinking, which he was. He gave Law a pint without asking and grinned. “Cheers!”

“You’re all acting like he’s already won,” Nami snapped. “Which he will, but we don’t have the winning money yet to celebrate with anything fancy, so keep it cool, lughead!”

“You won’t be letting us celebrate with anything  _ fancy _ even after he wins - you stingy.”

“You owe me one-thousand, seven hundred and sixty dollars.”

“What?! I thought it was only eight hundred?”

“That was before the hundred-and-twenty percent interest.”

“When the fuck did you decide that?”

“Oh, now it’s a hundred-and-thirty.”

“Stop!”

Beside him, Luffy was laughing uproariously, and Law had a revelation. As much as he liked peace and quiet, he liked hearing that unlimited, unrestrained laughter more. Despite the fact that he was in a busy restaurant, at a table of fourteen people, loud shouts and music and everything in between that came from being in such a place - hearing that sound in particular, was like a balm against the rough drag of the day.

Maybe he’ll concede just this once. Or better yet, next time he’ll get that laughter when it was just them, because they lived together, and Law could. 

Dinner was fun; loud and obnoxious as the straw-hat group tended to be, but as the night grew darker, the party came to an end. When they all said their goodbyes Law assumed Luffy would be coming back with him, but he didn’t expect the two brothers to follow as well. Sabo stopped them before they could get to the car.

“Do you have a moment to talk? I think it’s important to do so now. It should not wait till morning. I can follow you in my car back to your home”

That was ominous. Luffy was frowning. “Yeah, that’s fine. You’re acting funny, Sabo.”

“I’ll see you there.”

Ace was obviously just as confused, he gestured over his shoulder to say he’d ride with Sabo, maybe try to get an understanding of what had Sabo in such a mood. Law had a feeling it had something to do with him, but he didn’t know how. It made the ride home full of tense silence. Luffy’s good mood was taking a dive and Law was anxious. Whatever Sabo was angry about, Law feared it would disturb the quiet domestic life they’d built over the past month. 

Law found himself suddenly afraid of Luffy leaving, because he let himself get attached this time, and if Luffy had to pull another disappearing act - if Sabo wanted him gone forever… he’d go. Again.

This wasn’t healthy.

_ This _ was why he couldn’t chase that interest he had in Luffy; that desire to make it  _ more _ . It wasn’t stable. And Law, more than anything, wanted stability. He’s had everything burn and crumble around him too often to trust in something this shaky.

“You’re thinking too much, Torao.” Luffy told him. His hand touched his knee, palm hot through his jeans. “It’s ok.”

It was not ok. 

They got home, and now both Ace and Sabo were stiff and cold. The house was eerily quiet - a calm before the storm (or a tomb). 

“First off,” Sabo started. “I truly appreciate and can’t thank you enough for saving my brother’s life.”

“But?” Law said. Already, he found himself hating the fact that this brother wasn’t as blunt and honest as Luffy and Ace were. He didn’t want platitudes or disclaimers. He wanted Sabo to speak of the real issue already.

“But I’m also an agent who had been following a case for over a year - and it’s led me here, to you.”

There was a badge shown, investigative services, and Law has seen a few of them in his time as a doctor. Most recently upon dealing with the team looking into the fire station accident. As far as he knew, Teach hasn’t been found yet.

“What case?” 

They hovered around the kitchen island, Ace and Luffy to either side of him and Sabo across. The man laid out a plain manilla folder, an inch thick with papers. “This folder contains autopsy reports of a dozen people found in various locations. We - my team and I - were informed just today, that you may have a connection to them.”

Luffy was first to reach out, but Sabo grabbed his wrist before it could touch the folder. “I could get in trouble for showing you this.” Sabo said. “We were going to visit the hospital tomorrow to speak with Law about it, but… it would be better to tell you like this; give you a chance to prepare yourself. Luffy and Ace are not to repeat or talk about anything pertaining to this case until it has been resolved.”

“Sabo, stop stalling.” Ace said, arms crossed.

The blonde sighed, letting go of Luffy’s arm so the youngest could pulled the folder closer to Law and himself. 

The folder was opened to the first report. A stapled photo to printed forms detailing state of death. The picture…

Hesitantly, Law pulled it over to read it. He didn’t recognize her, the cause of death was labeled  _ internal hemorrhage _ but didn’t specify where or how. She was a young adult, the form said 24, with no prior health concerns that they knew of. However, without more information, he wasn’t sure he could give any sort of opinion...

_ White blotches broke out in a rash formation, patient was delirious before the combination of internal bleeding, organ failure, and high temperatures lead to death… _

Law set it aside and picked up the next. Male late 40s. 

_ Fever. Nonresponsive. Nausea and vomiting. White - _

The next was an elderly woman. Then there was a child, only 6 years old. And a 14 year old teenager.

White spots.

_ White spots. _

Every photo. Every description.

He swallowed thickly, mouth dry, throat tight, breathing faster. 

From across the island, Sabo spoke up like he was hitting a final nail in the coffin with an anvil, a shocking reveal that Law already knew from the second he saw the first photo. “They died of White Amber Disease.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aaaaaand here we go. The first bit of shit-hitting-the-fan. My heart already hurts.
> 
> I really love writing the brothers interacting with Law. I wish the first impression between Law and Sabo could have been under better circumstances, I'd like to see how Sabo would react to him if there wasn't already a bias. Ace, I'm having so much fun with. 
> 
> Ace is protective, and scary, and definitely giving the shovel talk, but deep down he liked Torao. Don't get me wrong, they're going to give each other hell, and Ace won't just give his stamp of approval without a trial >:) As much as he doesn't want his little bro dating, I also think he knows that Luffy would be just as devastated if Torao rejected him for some reason. I had an alternate scene that went something like this:
> 
> Law: "I'm not going to date him!"  
> Ace: "Why not? You'd be fucking LUCKY to have my brother!"  
> Law: "What do you want from me?!"  
> Ace: "... I don't know."
> 
> To love him but don't touch him.


	15. Sunrise - Chapter 15

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The wheel kept turning. Repeating. He used to think he could break it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: Depression and suicidal thoughts.

Despite such a large house, with an open kitchen to the living room providing more space, Law was feeling like the walls closed in. Ace, to his right, crossed his arms and looked down at the counter, the photos, with intensity. In general, Ace tended to look tired, which was to be expected with narcolepsy. He probably _was_ tired. If he already had a cataplexy episode today then it was likely that he needed real sleep very soon. But right now, his face was stony, expression a touch away from anger.

Sabo was the one who looked angry. He got the impression that it wasn’t a usual thing; Luffy had told him about Sabo’s responsible and playful nature. Protective, no doubt, but typically he was the one that let Luffy get away with things.

Both of his hands were braced on the counter, bracketing the folder. There was a burn scar on half of his face, disfigured and old, toned a slightly different color than his healthier blemish-free skin. It made him look older, especially with his frown.

To his left, Luffy was close enough to touch shoulders if Law leaned just a bit more. Dark eyes would look up at his brothers, the photos and information of the deceased, then up to Law while chewing on his bottom lip.

All three brothers had similar traits, though they didn’t share lineage. All three of them were intense in their own way and Law felt like he was in a room full of lions, the papers in front of him most likely the first to take a bite.

White spot covered bodies reminded him of Rorschach splatters and his mind chased that thought to Lami’s bedside where they traced butterflies and cat-faces on her arms and legs.

_“Look, Law, I have a new spot today! I think it looks like an angel!”_

_And young Law had smiled, holding back tears because he thought it looked like a screaming face and he didn’t want to think about how they were growing so fast. How was he supposed to laugh and joke about that while her fever got worse and hope was dying as the people started talking about rioting outside and -_

“These are recent, Sabo…” Luffy’s voice brought him back to reality.

"Yes. I was brought into this case a little over a year ago. After the war, there were small pockets of outbreak from refugees who had escaped, but that didn’t spread.” Of course it wouldn't have, Law thought. “But then we started seeing the sickness again. First, in the few more survivors still around and then in those who had no connection to Flevance at all."

He spread out the files of the dead. "From the elderly to children, women and men. There's no signs that it affects anyone differently."

"But you said the case led you here?” Law asked. “Are you following the physical trail of victims?"

“ _Victims_?” Ace’s tone was a mixture of confused and bluntly rude to show what he thought of the label - like the sickness was inflicted on them by a malicious party with intent (which it was) as opposed to simply contracting a contagious disease. “Nobody put it on a map. Sabo is here because it’s a national security of disease control. He’s not some two-bit cop investigating a murder.”

The words were degrading and Law glared at him. “Then he’s not doing his job properly. _Cop_ or not there must be an investigative force-”

“There is! They’re investigating where the disease is coming from - _you_!”

Law could barely keep himself from taking a swing at the asshole, beyond offended, but the hand on his shoulder froze him in place, though he was gritting his teeth so hard his jaw hurt. Luffy muttered _“Don’t…”_ to Ace but Law didn’t like how it put him in such a position. He wanted to punch Ace in the face, Sabo too, he wanted to tell them everything and have them understand.

But at the same time, he’s dealt with this discrimination his whole life as an immigrant. People were so afraid of what they didn’t know, they ate up all the lies told by the news and the marines - he’s tried to dissuade them of their beliefs, but found that the fear ran too deep. After all this time, he’s learned to just keep his mouth shut, that it was easier to avoid those types of people who didn’t want to listen to anything else, than spend his time and energy convincing them otherwise.

It hurt though, every time, to be looked at with disgust and fear, like he was going to break out in pustules and leak out the disease to start a world-ending plague. So he kept his birthplace quiet, didn’t offer up the information unless it was needed, and to anyone who found out and changed their perception of him (so quickly, too), he stayed away from. He may have considered the battle lost, but he wasn’t going to associate with people who thought so little of him. If they wanted to treat him like he was a diseased rat, then they could go fuck off all the way to hell or face his wrath.

Fight or flight.

He could do neither of those right now. He couldn’t fight Luffy’s brothers and it was beginning to look like running wasn’t an option.

Sabo sighed, obviously dreading what he was going to say next. "We think the disease is mutating. For however long, the people from Flevance have had a dormant form of the virus in their system that is awak-"

"Who told you that bullshit?" Law interrupted, voice waspish. He was still reeling, seething. Still shook with the knowledge that the white amber sickness was back - but it made sense, because out there, somewhere in the destroyed remains of Flevance where nobody dared to tread, white amber lead still existed. In the ground, in the air; dust particles that burrowed into tissue, blood, and bone. It seeped in and affected the human body slowly; symptoms that could be passed off as other things. Until it hit fully, violently, and killed swiftly.

He always knew it would make a comeback. That still didn’t mean he was prepared, and he certainly didn’t expect that lame - _stupid fucking scientific explanation_. "There is no virus." He said in disgust. "It's not a disease at all. It's a poison."

Ace furrowed his brow. "What?"

The blonde across from him groaned softly. "He's referring to the thesis paper he wrote while in school." It was said in a demeaning manner and Law was back to shaking in his rage. "Dr. Trafalgar submitted a paper to the board on the theory that the white amber sickness was from a mineral-"

"We all heard it was a disease though, fast spreading and-"

Both of them stopped mid-sentence when Law interrupted. "I know that it might sound stupid to you, but it's true. And that means that you're looking in the wrong direction." He pointed to the folder. "These people were poisoned - knowingly or not. It's not a factor of disease control, it's a source that needs to be found. If you looked at the bodies closer..." He paused, looking at the files again, noticing something he overlooked in his first state of shock. “Were these autopsies done by an official pathologist?"

"Not... exactly." Sabo said uncomfortably. "The pictures and reports were taken before the bodies were sent to the incinerator."

"So you don't actually know. Nobody even _looked_ at them before they were burned. Do you even know their names?!"

"Of course we do! They all have family that is distraught over their death!"

"But they came to you? Did they _see_ their loved ones before they were burned? Where were these bodies found? I bet you a million dollars they didn't die in a hospital considering all the doctors turn them away out of fear! So they suffered, alone, died in a ditch, and you just _burn_ them and point fingers!"

"It's not like that at all!"

"You're here because I'm from Flevance right? My _genetically modified dormant plague-causing virus_ is to blame? That's exactly what this is!"

Luffy slapped both of his palms on top of the counter and the sound distracted them from their shouting match. His body was tense and expression angry. The other three got quiet in response. "Stop yelling at each other," The fighter said measuredly.

Law realized his hands were shaking. He pulled them back to grip the granite, hiding them. He swallowed thickly, breathed in slowly. "Obviously you don't believe me."

"Your paper was discredited under falsified data," Sabo returned. Both of their voices just below a normal speaking volume.

"Because I'm such a quack doctor?" Law asked.

Nobody had a reply to that. Nobody could possibly call him that considering his skills and talent. And yet, ironically, his published _research_ done in school was ridiculed and thought of as so outrageous it must have been an insane man’s conspiracy theory.

"Tomorrow, my team will be in to speak with you regarding this matter. You can give an official report then." Sabo settled on saying.

"Am I being arrested?"

"There's a possibility you could be quarantined."

The word - just the _word_ sent a chill down Law's spine so violently that he hacked out a laugh. Hilarious. It was said so casually. _Quarantine_ , like he'd be isolated in a 4-star hotel room on vacation as officials made sure he wasn't contagious.

Like the last time he was under quarantine didn't lead to a massacre.

Law began to have this epiphany; his whole life revolved around this, he never escaped it. Flevance was doomed to die and all its people were cursed; hunted forever by death. All this time he struggled with survivor’s guilt even as he thanked Cora for giving him the chance to live and become something. But it was just borrowed time. His name had been on death’s list and he could no longer cheat it or outrun it. Cora wouldn't be able to save him a second time and the past repeats.

It’s just a circle of fear, lies, and betrayal - he saw hope and had it crushed.

Fuck, he almost wished they'd just get it over with and execute him. A whole military team could just swarm his home and shoot him - fill him, ironically, with lead - and let him die. No pretenses of quarantine and questioning to see if he had the proclivity to burst with diseases. Either it was an excuse to kill him justifiably or experiment on him under the name of science.

Damn it, if he was going to die, he wished he could choose _how_ but-

_The weak don't get to decide how they die._

How many times did he find himself on this path?

To stay in that pit of bodies to be burned or take Cora's hand and choose to live? To die of his poison, covered in white spots, delirious in fever to the point that he could see his family waiting for him, or use his knowledge to save himself? Repeat. Repeat.

He was tired of this wheel. Tired of trying to go against what was obviously his tragic destiny.

"Luffy," One of the brothers said, Law couldn't tell who. "Go get your things."

"Why?"

“So you don’t get sick-”

"If anyone knew you were living with him, then it's possible you could be quarantined too. So you have to come with us."

"What does that matter?"

Law didn't listen to more, he didn't need to. Before he knew it, his feet had taken him to the stairs and he climbed them with numbness. His hand on the railing barely felt it and he wasn’t in control of his legs as they took each step up at a time. He couldn’t bring himself to turn on his light or brush his teeth or change his clothes. He did kick his shoes off, but then he just crawled onto his bed, pulling the covers over him.

His chest was so tight he struggled to breath, periodically feeling himself overwhelmed with fear and sadness to acceptance and a sense of nothing. A few tears rolled down his cheeks, but he held back every sob that got stuck in his throat and _tried not to think._

Vaguely, there was shouting downstairs, and he used his pillow to cover his head and ears to drown it out. It hindered his breathing even more and he put 'suffocation' on his list of ways to die that didn't involve wasting away in a bubble, or being led to a gas chamber/ incinerator.

Eventually, things went silent, downstairs and in his mind. His panic attack calmed a little more after every wave, his body melting into the bed with a loss of strength. He didn't have the energy to keep it up and his mind and body seemed to start shutting down after the adrenaline faded.

He didn't know how long it had been, time wasn't very real at the moment, but he eventually heard his door opening, squeaking in protest at the last quarter-turn. There was a shuffling, the sound of blankets and a pillow falling to the floor, then followed a body.

Luffy wasn't being quiet, he knew Law was still awake. He got comfortable right at the side of his bed and even though Law was turned away, eyes closed and pillow over his head, he could imagine how he set his straw-hat on the nightstand above his head, like he had been doing twice a week when he would come in. Then he'd put one arm behind his head with the pillow, and one hand across his stomach. He'd go to sleep on his back before flopping out on his side or stomach.

"Sabo said he was going to talk to his team tomorrow. He'll make sure nobody takes you away. You're an important doctor, so lots of people would be unhappy if they did. He said that would be leveraged or whatever."

Law gave no indication that he heard.

"I'm staying." Luffy continued. His voice was hard, angry, like he thought even Law would argue against him. He probably would have if he had the strength to. That was a stupid decision, but Luffy didn't know what it meant.

It finally got him to move though, he turned onto his stomach, pillow against his face but turned just enough to not be smothered by it. He shifted until he was at the edge of the bed too, and one arm dropped over the border. He still faced the other way, eyes closed, but he felt fingers touch his own.

Law laced them together one way, moved his hand to feel the soft palm, the calluses on the knuckles. He felt Luffy's finger trace the letters on his own, the back of his palm's dark circle. The black spot.

"I was in Flevance during the quarantine." He found himself saying. His voice didn’t sound normal; he was no longer crying, but it still sounded hoarse as he whispered his confession. "Cora saved me from burning in a pit of bodies. He took me back to Dressrosa and lied that I'd always been there."

"I know."

Yeah, Law probably screamed it in his sleep. Cried for his parents who were shot in a lineup. Lami who burned in the bombed hospital.

"I was sick with the white amber disease after I left Flevance," He confided again. "My mom was the one to find out that it was a poison. Not me. It was too late for any of them. But knowing that, I was able to keep myself from dying of it. It’s _not_ incurable, it’s not genetic."

If he had the energy, he could explain how. Antidotes were more like counteractive poisons. Drugs that were toxic themselves but had opposing properties to the symptoms. They weren't often considered for treating a _disease_ but once the effects of the lead were understood, finding ways to prevent their progression was possible.

The lead tainted tissue and blood, and was stored in the bones. Despite the treatment he went through to essentially draw out the poison, surely there was some remaining in his body. Nothing that could harm him anymore though, being that it was of little dose.

His own blood and the testing of it was where the data in his report came from. He'd tried to prove his mother's findings and give hope and a chance of life to the few he knew would have the built up mineral in their systems as well.

But obviously, one test sample and his own bias were enough to turn the report invalid. When it was published, everyone laughed. He doubted it saved anyone, in the end.

"I believe you."

Of course Luffy would. Just because Law was the one that said it. He'd never read the report, didn't know the science behind it. He just trusted.

"It's ok, Torao."

His hand was held tightly, and Law sniffled, pillow wet. He felt like that little boy begging for someone to help him. Back then, like his prayers were answered, Cora was there with his hand out. Marine uniform on - looking like a monster straight out of his (very real) nightmares - but his smile was so soft and kind. Law had no reason to trust, but he did. He'd taken Cora's hand and was pulled from the ruins. He chose to live.

What would he choose this time? The wheel kept turning. Repeating. He used to think he could break it.

Now, Luffy's hand in his, he felt like that lifeline was the only thing keeping him from sliding back down, and he didn’t know if he had the strength to pull himself up. He just hung there, abyss beneath, waiting to swallow him. He didn’t know who was holding on to who; maybe Law’s survival instincts were stronger than his wish for it all to be over, or maybe Luffy, being Luffy, just couldn’t let go.

_Sometimes the world sucks and takes people away, but when you have the chance to keep them, it's your choice. Why would you choose not to?_

Luffy’s words back then had given him the strength to call Cora back; tell him in a way that was so uncommon, that he _loved_ Cora. That man had done so much for him, and no matter what happened or who he chose to marry, Law’s life was intertwined with his, forever. Cora was his father. Not the father who raised him as a child, who he loved and missed dearly, but the father he _chose_ , that he loved just as much.

He made the choice to fight for that relationship. To not be pushed away by the secrets he kept or the likelihood of a future family Cora and Kuzan would build together… or himself.

He deserved to fight for his happiness too.

He gripped Luffy’s hand tighter and pulled. The man went easily, sitting up and smoothly rolling over the bed's edge, Law shuffling over to make room.

Their hands never parted and when Luffy settled down on the mattress, under the covers, their hands remained clutched between them. Law’s eyes were closed but they were close enough that he could feel the bodyheat Luffy gave off.

" _You're_ ok." Luffy said to him. “I promise.”

Metaphorically, Law was pulled across the cliff he’d been hanging onto, leaving the abyss once more to fight. Luffy’s last promise to him was to come back, and the man hadn’t left him behind. Now, with Luffy’s hand in his, he felt sturdy, his feet planted on solid ground again. He couldn't help but smile and whisper back, "I believe you."

* * *

Surprisingly, there was nothing special about waking up in the morning. Luffy was sprawled all over the place, like Law knew he would be; the man’s face burrowed into his shoulder, and an arm was draped across his chest but it wasn’t a very sweet and tender moment. Law had hair in his mouth and a wet spot from Luffy’s drool and the shorter’s knee was in an uncomfortable place digging into his hip.

Law’s alarm was going off and he blearily looked around the nightstand for it before realizing it was in his pant’s pocket. This caused some shuffling to get it, and Luffy woke up to complain. The hospital didn’t care what time it was.

As warm as Luffy was, Law compared him to a sticky octopus and he had to extract himself by fighting against grabby limbs and rolling off the bed.

“Come back,” Luffy whined.

Law hit him with a pillow to shut him up. Strange, that didn’t work.

He was able to rush a shower, brush his teeth (extra vigorously to make up for the night before), and dressed in clean clothes with a speed born of practice. He left Luffy to take up the rest of his bed and grabbed an apple to eat on his way in to work.

It was four am and Law felt energized with a whole six hours of rest; either the panic attack exhausted him into a deep sleep or Luffy helped. He wouldn’t confess to either, but even Bepo commented on his mood when he got in. “You must have had a good night, captain.”

Which, no, no he did not. But he guesses it wasn’t all bad.

More than just energy, he felt stronger, physically and mentally. It wasn’t like his worries disappeared; he still had depression and anxiety, struggled with a sense of self-worth, and in a few hours he was bound to see Sabo and his team. But he didn’t feel like he fought alone. It was like… the outcomes of whatever may come wouldn’t involve the complete destruction of everything he knew.

The important things would remain.

Shachi grinned and threw an arm around Law’s shoulder. “Luffy has that big fight today, yeah?”

Penguin rolled by on his task chair. “Gonna go be his cheerleader, cap?”

“No,” He vindictively helped him by kicking his chair to roll in the opposite direction, and the man yelped, flailing as his chair careened away. “I’m working here for a whole shift. I’ll have to get a recap of it later. Usopp is going to record it for their channel.”

Bepo frowned. “But Kureha will be in after three. We’ll have enough doctors on hand. You _could_.”

“Impossible to be overstaffed,” Law replied. “It’s a saturday. And a full moon.”

“Hey,” Shachi squeezed him in a one-armed hug. “Take the rare chance for time off. Luffy would be happy you went to see him.”

True. It was his first scheduled fight since the fire, it was important, and no matter how confident Luffy had been as he put all his work into training, Law knew he was nervous.

It was on his mind all day. While he saw patients, worked through administration, set up future operations. He still hadn’t made up his mind by the time Sabo walked through the door with another woman. Her name was Koala, his partner, and was a lot friendlier in her approach. During their meeting, as the evidence was brought up and Law was questioned fully, like he was a suspect in some crime, he wondered how the scene would have gone if he hadn’t gotten that warning last night.

Suddenly, as much as he disliked Sabo, he was thankful the man had the courtesy to do so, even if it was more for Luffy’s benefit. Causing a scene in the hospital would not have been proper, and he wasn’t sure how well his emotions could have held up for it.

Bad enough that they had the poor sense of decorum to show him these graphic pictures and ask invasive questions such as; “Did you know these people? Were you ever in contact with other Flevance refugees? Have you ever been sick or been around anyone who was sick, with the white amber disease?”

They didn’t ask him anything incriminating, so for the most part he didn’t have to lie, but he did drop a hint that if they wanted more information, they should talk to Sengoku. If that man deemed them safe enough to tell them the whole story, that was his prerogative. Law wasn’t going to break open all his secrets and risk Cora’s life because of some stupid investigation that would lead to nowhere.

This time around, despite Koala and Sabo’s obvious distrust of his opinion on the source of the disease, Law remained polite and civil. Everything was official, written down for their records, and at the end Sabo told him that there would be no action taken to remove him from the public. His value to the hospital and society as a doctor was worth more than the possible contagion they weren’t sure existed.

He shook their hands on the way out and Sabo whispered an apology to him when Koala was out of hearing range. What it was for exactly, Law wasn’t clear on, but he accepted it all the same. He hoped his relationship with Luffy’s brothers wasn’t tarnished, but it didn’t seem like it was. There was a lot of bias upon their introduction, between all of them, and Law wanted to overcome it.

It sealed his decision though. Law was taking the rest of the day off to watch Luffy’s fight.

It felt so weird to leave early but when he told the others, they practically pushed him out the door (before he could change his mind, they said), and he couldn’t start his car up to drive because he didn’t know where he was going. Luffy was out of contact at this point, but any other straw-hat crew member was available, and he knew they would be attending the event. Robin gave him directions on where to go.

Thirty minutes before the fight was supposed to begin, Law was buying his ticket from a booth, filing in with a lot more people than he expected.

_"Hey, Zoro-ya. I'm at the front, but I'm not sure where to go now."_

The man told him to stay where he was to be fetched. He felt out of place, leaning against a wall beside one of the food stands just before the doors to the seating area. It was loud and he could hear the crowd from outside; pumped up music and cheering.

Usually he wouldn't be self-conscious about wearing scrubs either, they were a permanent part of his wardrobe by now. But everyone else wore such casual/ fan-driven sportswear. Some of it with Rob Lucci's face and name on it (apparently the guy was popular). That was a bit ridiculous, he thought, but there wasn't room for him to judge. He pulled his long jacket closed, brought his hood over his hat and waited for someone he knew to tell him where to go.

"You do realize we could have gotten you a VIP pass right?" Was Zoro's greeting.

"I didn't know I was going to be able to come. But I don't need a free ticket or anything."

Smirking, Zoro gestured to the large groups of people. "This fight is pretty big. Tickets are almost sold out."

"Does Luffy have any fans like this?" Law asked as some girls screamed in joy nearby. They held signs with Lucci's name on them, Law could make out a few words but generally the homemade banner was full of hearts. A bit disturbing.

Just after he asked that question, some man in green hair ran by with tears running down his face. He wore a straw-hat, screaming about merchandise and how big of a fan he was. There was even a doll that looked like Luffy in his hands.

A lot more disturbing.

"Nevermind."

"Come on, you might have missed him before he gets on stage, but the fight hasn't started yet." Zoro led him around the entrance a bit, winding around the crowds. Law kept up easily, but after they made almost one full revolution around the rink he asked what they were looking for. “A staff-only door that goes down to the service deck.”

Rolling his eyes, Law smacked his hand on Zoro’s shoulder and pointed out the nondescript door. The third of its kind that they passed while going in a circle. “Like that?”

“Oh! Yeah, it must have moved.”

“Doors don’t magically do that, Zoro-ya.”

“Shut up.”

By the time they got downstairs, Luffy had been moved from the waiting area to the side of the stage. The speaker began introductions, a long spiel of each fighters background, career milestones, probable strengths and weaknesses. The crowd was getting louder and during the host’s long speech, Law got to join the others. It was a bit more than he was expecting, to be so close to the center ring and see how big it was, the arena beyond was huge and full of people - he felt nervous with so many of them looking his way, even if they weren’t focused on him.

The others greeted him warmly, Robin sitting him between herself and Nami who instantly hounded him for gambling money.

“I’m not betting…”

“Oh come on, throw money in the pot. Five hundred? Five thousand. Chump change right?”

“Five hundred if you stop calling me sugar daddy.”

“One thousand and I’ll think about it.”

She wouldn’t stop, he knew; the joke made him cringe and Nami knew the power she had teasing him with it. Still, he guesses it could be worse. Apparently, _owing_ her money was worse. Zoro and Usopp both gave him some advice to stay on her good side. So, he gave her what he had in his wallet, watching her eyes sparkle and the cash was swiped up so fast he barely had it out a second before it was quickly counted and stuffed somewhere undoubtedly safe.

“Thanks! When he wins, you can take a 1% cut.”

“How generous.”

Usopp, one seat behind him leaned forward to whisper. “At least you’re getting anything back.”

“Torao,” Robin called. She pointed up to the stage. “Luffy sees you.”

His eyes snapped up to look. Luffy had been too far away to properly tell him that he was here, swarmed by the referee and staff of the MMA program and competition. But Luffy noticed. He grinned enthusiastically when their eyes met and it must have caused some annoyance, but Luffy seemed to walk away in the middle of a conversation, coming quickly to their side. All he wore was the red shorts that went to his knees and his straw hat. The hands were wrapped thickly in fabric for protection and vaseline on his face would help any taken hits to glide off the skin rather than burst it open. It made his brows, nose, and cheeks look shiny.

The man seemed so happy to see him, throwing himself into Law before he could stand. “You came to see me fight!”

“Of course.”

Luffy laughed brightly, and Law thought that this really was his element. Obviously, Luffy liked fighting, but this was the first time Law had seen him do it professionally in person. It really pushed home how intense Luffy could be in the face of a challenge. While it wasn’t quite the violence that Luffy enjoyed, it was the endorphins that came with it and the determination to win. His grin was a little more dangerous and his body wound tight like a spring, Law could feel it when they hugged, all that energy that Luffy was full of, ready to be unleashed.

The shorter man pulled back, lightly bouncing on his bare feet. “Hey, if I win, let's go to that ramen barbeque shop. I won’t make you try the super spicy one!”

Because it was Luffy, _if_ was said more like _when_ and Law scoffed at the lie - Luffy would attempt to get him to try everything he had (which was everything on the menu). Still… as the staff waiting behind Luffy at the stage got more impatient, the announcer finally stopped talking, and he could see the opponent, Lucci, ready at the other side…

Law hummed, gently plucked Luffy’s hat off his head for safekeeping and said. “It’s a date.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The beginning was a lot darker than I anticipated, but as I was writing it, Law kind of spiraled down. Luffy was the breakthrough he needed. I could write a lot more about canon's Law and the hints of depression and guilt that would lead to him thinking these thoughts as well.
> 
> But I'll end it on a happy note. :) They're goin' on a date!


	16. Sunset - Chapter 16

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Luffy still has a lot to learn and understand about himself most of all. He's got time, though.

Luffy has learned a lot over the past week. So much information that he needed to reflect on it to compartmentalize and as a result, has been distracted by his thoughts.

First, he learned that while his brothers loved him and meant well, there were some things he had to stand up to them about. They rarely had such large arguments, but when they learned about white amber disease, and reacted by trying to take Luffy away for safekeeping - that got pretty explosive.

Neither of them knew Torao very well, but they also hurt Luffy when they treated the doctor with suspicion, like he was a threat. Just because they were worried about Luffy didn’t mean they could lash out, he was not going anywhere, no matter if Torao really was sick. After all, sick people were the ones who needed help the most!

Once their anger abated, he could see they started to feel guilty. He heard Sabo apologized, but he knew Ace would take longer to get over his pride to admit that his reaction was not okay. At the moment, his eldest brother was avoiding him and Torao both, but that wouldn’t last. Luffy gave him his space to figure it out.

Luffy couldn’t stay mad at them and he could tell Torao tried to push it aside as well. It was really kind of him, because he knew that he was trying, in part, because of Luffy. Also, it seemed like Torao was a little too used to being treated like that. Luffy thought it was really stupid to be that concerned with where someone was from and he didn’t get the whole disease thing.

Another thing he learned: what Law was scared of.

Everyone was afraid of something, but Law hid it a lot easier than most. It was similar to his own fear of losing those he cared about, but in this case, he feared that _they_ would leave _him_. Voluntarily or otherwise, and he would have no control over it. Torao was afraid of rejection, of the heartache that came with trusting someone only to have it crushed. After he lost everything and everyone he loved, he was afraid of making any of those new bonds. Cora, Bepo, Penguin, and Shachi were members of a family he chose, but in a way, he waited for the day that they too would leave him.

Torao leaned on them a lot and he knew it. Which was why Cora’s marriage shook him up so badly. Cora was a pillar of strength for him, and he’d tried to pull away before it could crumble, tried to control the fall he felt was imminent. He didn’t see that the pillar was so strong that there was nary a crack - it wasn’t coming down.

The way Law pushed against his every attempt to get closer made more sense. Luffy wanted to be friends, but to Law, that friendship held the power to hurt him. He couldn’t afford to give that trust to Luffy, not until he showed Torao his commitment. It was only after Torao let him in that he had such an epiphany. Torao was strong - amazingly capable of so much, but he was also fragile.

Third, Luffy learned that Law was warm. Inside and outside. His hands were smooth and cool to the touch, but when they touched him, even just holding hands, it set fire to him. When those barriers against Luffy were down, Torao reached for him, held onto him like it was the only thing he could depend on. Like he was one of those pillars.

Maybe Luffy had too big of an ego, but he really thought he was becoming one, and it simultaneously made him happy to be trusted so much, but nervous that he might fuck it up. He wanted Torao to know he was safe so he didn’t have to be scared, that he was worthy of that trust placed in him; to never let him fall.

Finally… the last thing Luffy was learning about, was what it meant to date someone. It felt like he won more than just a competitive fight after defeating Lucci. He’s spent plenty of time with Torao before, but he expected it would be different now. In some ways it was; Luffy was hyper aware of how close they were, closer than before, and he was able to touch Torao without protest.

Luffy might be enjoying that more than he should. He’s taken any excuse to wrap his arms around Law, take his time breathing him in - he smelled so good.

Whereas before Law would hurriedly rush the affection along, now he seemed content to let Luffy do it. His arms would even return the embrace, settling around his shoulders. Warm, nice… it made Luffy’s heart skip and he’d hide his grin in Law’s shoulder.

Everything seemed to flow so easily because Luffy didn’t have to think about what he did and how it would be received anymore. They’d tiptoed around this feeling they had for each other so long, not calling it out for fear of the consequences. Now, Luffy didn’t have to worry about it. Law asked him on a date, that meant he definitely wanted a relationship! The hard part was over!

Right?

Only, Luffy didn’t know the first thing about dating someone. Based on every romantic movie ever, every date had a kiss somewhere in there. Beginning, end? What was the que? But the date passed without one.

Their time at the ramen shop was fun, sweet, full of laughter as Luffy convinced Law to try something that was way too hot for the man’s bland tastes. Torao complained that his mouth burned with the spice, lips tingly, eyes misty as he coughed. Luffy laughed so hard at his expression, but Torao was a vindictive little bastard and ate all the pork cutlets in return before Luffy noticed.

It was what they normally did; just exist around each other, a certain synergy to their interactions that seemed so strong now. He wasn’t complaining, really, but they were “dating” now right? Wasn’t there supposed to be a difference?

Luffy hadn’t slept in the same bed with Torao since that night. They both were busy in the day and came home too late to do anything big. They played a few rounds of video games, shared takeout, watched television.

Was Luffy missing something?

He didn’t want to mess this up, but he had no idea what he was doing and his mind started thinking it was a test of some kind. He was really bad at tests…

“Luffy-ya, did you want something?”

He snapped back to attention, feeling sheepish. They were grocery shopping; Cora was going to visit tonight, and they wanted to try a recipe from the cookbook. Law was smart enough to write down ingredients and here they were at a local market, where Luffy was caught staring at a row of canned beans for who-knows how long.

“No,” He shook his head wildly, trying to think of what he was there for. “Um, tomato paste!”

“Got it.”

Oh, he must have taken too long…

One of Torao’s arms was looped around the handheld basket while the other poked Luffy in the cheek. “Why are you pouting?”

“‘M not,” He mumbled.

Torao rolled his eyes, showing how much he believed that, and his hand came up again to brush his hair over. His straw hat hung down his back and he knew his hair was a mess, he probably hadn’t brushed it in three days. But he did shower, so it was clean!

Fingers ran through it, untangling as they went. This was another new development; Torao was initiating contact with him, little touches and affections that made Luffy’s insides melt.

Like now, his cheeks were red, and he had to duck his head to keep his smile from getting any bigger. “There.” Torao smirked. Luffy knew he was being teased but whatever, he’d put up with it for that kind of attention.

He realized how close they were, in the middle of an aisle, and he thought about what an outsider would see. They’d look like a couple, right? This was… romantic, wasn’t it? Were they supposed to kiss now?

Before Luffy could think on it further, get the strength to look up and try it, the moment ended. As the doctor pulled away, beckoning him to follow, Luffy sighed and stuffed his hands in his jacket pockets. He didn’t know why this was becoming such a big deal, he didn’t think Torao would reject him, it’s not like he was afraid to touch his lips with another’s and he kind of _wanted_ to, but for some reason he just felt so uneasy about it.

What was wrong with him?

Law picked up on his mood as they drove back home and Luffy helped him get the groceries inside. The book was on the island, held open on the recipe they were going to try and in the few times they’ve done this before, Luffy and Law would spend ten minutes going over it. Deciding who would cut the onions and cry, who would mix and measure… they’d laugh and play paper-rock-scissors and Luffy would steal little pieces of whatever he could before the dish was done.

He looked at the book, the picture, the ingredients list, but before he could properly read it, Torao shut it in his face. “What’s on your mind?”

Well, if he knew that, he’d have said something by now!

Turning to face the doctor, he opened his mouth to speak, but couldn’t find the words. _I thought I wanted this. Is this what you were imagining? It’s barely been a week and I’ve never dated anyone before and this is not going how I thought it would…_

No, he couldn’t say any of that, it sounded like a breakup and that’s absolutely _not_ what he wanted. Damn, his eyes were misty and he felt overwhelmed so he tried to hide his face. In Torao’s shoulder. His body kind of leaned in, arms still hanging at his side, but the warmth of Torao’s body seeped into him and he sighed. “Are we boyfriends now?”

“I suppose. Honestly it feels like we’ve been dating a lot longer. Bepo was ready to call us a _thing_ since you moved in.”

“Really?”

“Shachi is worse; he made up a story tha - “

“No, like, what’s changed? Now that we’re official?” His words were muffled by Torao’s shirt but he didn’t want to look up to see his expression or have his own so easily read.

“Nothing, really.”

“Exactly,” Luffy mumbled.

Torao sighed, he could feel it and hear it. It sounded fond, amused, Torao’s arms went around his shoulder to make Luffy’s weird slump into an actual embrace. “You’re not usually this grouchy. Did you want something to change?”

“Why haven’t we kissed yet?”

“Ah, there’s that straightforwardness.” He still sounded amused and Luffy didn’t like it. “Have you wanted to?”

The last bit was said like a challenge, softly and close to Luffy’s ear, _seductively_ , and the fighter shivered but grew even more frustrated. He pulled away, a little too fast, but he was unable to think about words and how to articulate them when Law did that. Maybe it was because Torao was so smooth at this, he knew what he was doing and it felt like a game - a game that Luffy was losing and he didn’t like how his confidence dive-bombed because of it.

“Maybe…” Law’s hip leaned against the counter, his arms crossed, and it was a closed off stance that made Luffy cringe. He really was fucking this up, he didn’t mean to refuse Torao’s offer or make him think he was being rejected. “I do.”

“Lie.”

Fuck. Luffy swallowed thickly, thinking. The internet said that kissing on the first date was common; a successful date ended with a kiss. Maybe, if a person was particularly cautious or shy, the second or third, since dates were really meant to be a way of getting to know someone; a sense of chemistry and compatibility. They already had that right? But if Torao felt like they’d been dating for _longer_ than that, then what was the time stamp here? “That’s what boyfriends do.”

“Do they?” And Luffy was not expecting that reply. His surprise showed on his face when he looked up. He didn’t know if Law was going to be angry or not, but he looked at Luffy with curiosity. “You don’t have much experience dating do you?”

Heart sinking, Luffy was started to get that feeling again. Like he failed some kind of test. “I have none. This is my first.” He watched Torao’s face to see if the man would think less of him for being so widely inexperienced, but there was no indication that the doctor was surprised or disappointed. “It’s not like I couldn’t… before.”

Explaining it was hard, Luffy didn’t know how to describe it, but he kept talking, rambling. “I just didn’t want to. Nobody felt right and I thought it was dumb and unnecessary, cause - why is it such a big deal? I don’t get it. You like the person, you become friends with that person. But if it’s _more_ than friendship, you treat them differently? Suddenly the relationship revolves around kissing and sex and like, what about their interests and personality? Isn’t that more important than how they stick their tongue down your throat or put… body parts into each other?”

Law was looking at him still, like there was more, like he was _listening_ , and Luffy continued, explosively trying to get it off his chest. “Apparently not, because every single couple _has_ to have sex - sometimes their relationship is _based entirely on it_ \- and I hate it because that’s not how you’re supposed to find out or decide you love someone! Everyone says that it’s important and you’ve probably done this plenty of times so you probably know, but… I want there to be a difference with us, but not like _that_ , and I know that makes zero sense.”

Stopping his angry rant to breathe, Luffy avoided Law’s eyes, afraid of how he’d react to his diatribe, if he got his point across or made any sense at all... The very few people he’s talked to about this (Zoro, Usopp, and Sanji) supported him but didn’t fully understand it. They told him that the right person hadn’t come along yet or that he’d eventually have sex and his primal instincts will kick in and suddenly he’ll understand and want it like all the “normal” people.

“Do you know what asexuality is?” Law asked. His voice was surprisingly normal toned in contrast to Luffy’s shouting. He shook his head. “Heterosexuality and homosexuality describe a person’s attraction to a specific gender. Asexuality is when a person has no attraction to either. Or any. Those types of people tend to view relationships differently. They love, marry, have kids, same as everyone else, but the sexual component that drives many to find their partner isn’t present.

“That doesn’t mean they can’t or won’t have sex; some hate it all, some don’t - the difference is whether they have a sex drive focused on a _person_ in specific. People have sex for many reasons; they like the feel of it, to be close to someone, to procreate. And there are just as many reasons people don’t.”

“But… everyone says that sex is good for a relationship. Not having it is bad.”

“Every relationship has a list of priorities - actions that mean the most to the couple. People show affection in different ways; like the five love languages. There’s words of affirmation, gift-giving, spending time together, _physical_ touch, and actions. Some couples have sex as a high priority, but others consider those different forms of love more meaningful.” Law’s arms uncrossed and one of his tattooed hands poked at his forehead to get his eyes to look up. “You show love by spending time with the other person and showing affection through action. I tend to speak the same language.”

Feeling lighter in his chest as Law spoke, Luffy breathed in to calm his nerves. “What about you?” Luffy asked. “Would you… be with someone like that?”

The man smirked. “Oh, hypothetically speaking,” He said dryly. “If I was to date an asexual, and they never wanted to have sex then we _wouldn’t have sex_. And I’d be fine with that.”

“But you’d still want it.”

“What I would want, was both of us to be happy and comfortable with the other. Forgetting the fact that there are tons of other things that could bring orgasms that an asexual person may or may not be comfortable with - it’s not just dick in ass - I can live with my own hand if it came down to choosing between _sex_ and the person I lo- well, whoever that would be.”

Luffy found himself smiling, leaning forward again to trap Law in a hug. “Thanks.”

“I just regurgitated a ton of information I read somewhere.”

“And it helped. I feel a lot better now.”

“Whatever.” One of Torao’s hands rubbed up his back while the other threaded through his hair. “Just… don’t think that _dating_ suddenly comes with expectations. We’ll define it as we go. We’ve been doing it all assbackwards anyway, going by traditional standards.”

“Fuck tradtional standards!” Luffy said, tone happy.

“Got that right.” The doorbell rang and a few scant seconds later they heard keys in the door. Law pulled back with a final ruffle against Luffy’s head. “You’re on cutting board duty.”

Luffy’s protests were drowned out by Cora’s entrance.

Cora was loud and happy, as always. He was without Kuzan, giving all his attention to Law and the doctor pretended not to be pleased about it (nobody was fooled). Luffy hadn’t seen the man in a long while, but Cora gave him a hug that he enthusiastically returned - if someone hugged Luffy, he was gonna make sure they got the full effect! Cora’s black feathered coat tickled his nose and Luffy’s short stature meant that Cora ended up lifting him off the ground, and he laughed.

“Oh! Let me help with dinner!”

“No!” Law yelled in horror.

“Come on, Law, I can do it!”

“Luffy-ya, do _not_ let him near the knives or stove!”

“Okay! He didn’t say anything about a peeler. You can help with the potatoes!”

“Yes!” Cora cheered.

Torao groaned, whispered something like, “There’s two of them!” before going back to the book to read it aloud for the two literacy challenged. Which, _rude_.

Ten minutes later, disaster struck, so maybe Torao had the right idea. "Help, I got it in my eye!" Cora yelled, fanning at his face. He tried rubbing at his eye to help clear it but his hands had touched peppers and onions; he only made it worse. “It burns!”

Luffy panicked. “Torao! He could go blind!”

"I could?!"

"Or die."

"Ah! I'm dying!"

"Do it quietly,” Torao replied.

"Don’t be a dick! Your dads blind and gonna die!”

Law forced the man’s head under the kitchen faucet to run water on his face in the hope of washing out the irritant. It was funny because the man was so tall, but also clumsy enough to fall over, choke on water, flail enough to hit the bag of flour on the counter and Torao ended up with it all over him. Luffy couldn’t breathe he was laughing so hard.

He really liked Cora. The man was super fun to talk to, and between them both, Torao was actually laughing (also yelling). It was relaxing. Even though, at some point, while Law was finishing up on the stove, Cora clears his throat and says, “I wanted to ask if you were ok, Law. Sengoku was visited by some investigators and asked about…” He cast a glance to Luffy. “You know what.”

“You can talk about it here, if you want.” Law said casually, still focused on what he was stirring. "I told Luffy."

"Told him... what?"

"Everything."

Luffy watched them as they seemed to speak telepathically, looking at each other, Cora's expressive face going through concern, shock, joy, and settled on a soft sense of pride. The tall man looked at Luffy with the same tender smile and it made him feel a special kind of warmth.

"Well, I also wanted to say that I think Doffy is jumping back onto the radar."

"Ok, wait, I didn't tell him that part."

"I thought you said you told him everything!"

"I didn't realize I had so many secrets to tell!"

"You never open up about anything."

"Nobody new has come into my life needing to know any of this stuff! Should I write a list?!"

Cora turned back to Luffy with a pout on his face, waving his hand in dismissal. "No, I wanna tell him." Law made a weird angry whine-growl noise which was entertaining, but Luffy was already enthralled by the upcoming story. "So, I have an older brother, named Doflamingo."

"'Mingo, weird name. Got it."

"He is very weird. Wears _pink feathers_ , it's a disaster." The blond smiled but it was dry and humorless. "He's crazy. Like, homicidal crazy psychopath - and I _knew_ he had issues but I thought since we were the only ones left of our family it would have been different... Well, when I brought Law home to Dressrosa with me, Doflamingo was a little too happy about it.” Cora scowled. “Instead of trying to help Law heal - physically and mentally, he encouraged Law's violence."

"To be fair, he didn't have to do much," Law commented.

"Doflamingo gave you weapons, explosives, and anything you’d want to _do_ whatever you had planned! He let you hurt people and destroy things and it _didn’t help you_." Cora seethed. Law was efficiently chastised, knowing it was true. "Anyway, things were out of control, but I didn't know half of what was going on between work and trying to find a doctor that would take Law in."

"That never happened."

Scoffing in agreement, Cora leaned closer to Luffy. "Doflamingo took Law under his wing, taught him things, groomed him to be part of this underground criminal organization, and Law's sickness made him vulnerable to such persuasion."

"I wasn't a puppet... he had plenty of those. Not once did I trust him."

"You trusted him enough." The atmosphere grew somber.

"Doflamingo was always interested in new weapons, there was a lab where they did experiments on people and animals, it was despicable. But I was able to use the lab to help treat the white amber lead poisoning.”

“Only, the healthier he became, the less value he had to Doflamingo. Eventually, he turned against us."

"He killed a lot of people," Law growled. "He shot Cora in the chest six times."

"I was lucky to live, but my lungs were never the same. I'm a mess of scar tissue inside and out," Cora said. "I was unable to serve at that point, which is why I'm on desk-duty. Doflamingo got away, hiding for more than ten years."

It reminded him of Teach and Luffy curled his hands into fists. "Why do you think he's back?"

"I saw someone who used to be a marine, like me, back in Dressrosa. His name was Vergo. Another puppet of Doffy’s, he did a lot of the physical work. I didn’t get the chance to see if it was him, for sure. But… I wanted Law to know. Vergo liked to hurt him."

“Hurt Torao?” Luffy affirmed, voice tight and angry.

“I was an asshole to everyone there,” The doctor replied. “Vergo was personally offended at my disrespect. So long as he didn’t permanently damage me, Doflamingo didn’t care about the violence.”

“I wish I could have kicked his ass more,” The blond huffed.

Luffy wishes he knew where the bastard was so he could beat him up right now. “Let him come,” He challenged. “He won’t get away with it again.”

“Oi,” Law hit him with a spoon. “Not a damsel in distress.”

Cora giggled. “You know, it does make me feel better; Law’s not living alone, he’s got a boyfriend watching over him making sure he eats and sleeps and -”

“Boyfriend?” Luffy interrupted.

“Are you not?”

“We are.” The first person to know, and he just assumed. How did he know? What gave it away? “We totally are! And I’ll definitely make sure to take care of him -”

“Ugh, ok, shut up.”

Speaking of getting Law to sleep, once dinner was finished off, Cora was easily convinced to spend the night. They watched a movie and stayed up late, but Luffy was barely able to keep his eyes open by the end. Cora’s feather coat was warm, as Torao had told him when the man spread it over their shoulders, all three smushed on the couch with Torao in the middle. Luffy had been nodding off against his shoulder, losing grip of the movie's progression and completely lost when he jerked awake to pay attention.

"Time for bed," Law ordered. "You both are falling asleep on me." From the other side, Cora's head popped up too, eyes squinting.

Of course, Cora would take the couch, that's obvious. However, it wasn't until then that he realized what that meant. Folding the couch out and giving blankets and pillows (Law tended to have a lot of them) to Cora, Luffy was left awkwardly standing at the bottom of the stairs. He asked the two if they needed any help, just so he'd have something to do, but Law shook his head and told him he'd be up in a moment.

So... up the stairs he went, slow in his ascent. He's never just gone into Torao's room without the man, certainly didn't plan to sleep there so openly (sneaking in at night didn't count).

Maybe he shouldn't assume they'd sleep together and just take the floor...

He thought about it while brushing his teeth, feeling weird about doing it in the master bathroom. Torao joined him before he finished and he noticed tension slowly release from them both as they once more moved around each other like they’d done it many times before.

This was different, but not the bad sort.

He teased Torao for his particular hygiene; his fancy electric toothbrush, washing his face using three different bottles of something - he got a hairbrush thrown at him in return with an order to do something about the nest on his head.

Grumbling, he did so, unhappy with the way it made his hair fall, not exactly in order with the weird little kinks and slight wave. Torao's hair didn't have that problem, it was a lot thinner and straight. Chuckling at Luffy's expression, Law reached over to mess it all up again, roughly rubbing his palm across it. "Hey! I'm not brushing it again!"

"Could just cut it off instead."

"No!"

"You're right, you'd look even younger, I don't want people to think I'm dating a baby." The man said, smirking as they got the bed ready. Torao was a clean kind of person; careful not to get the sheets dirty, re-make the bed every morning, and Luffy's pillow was already in there, joined with the others. It was pushed to the left side of the bed as he tugged the covers down.

"I'm not that young. I'm twenty-three!" Luffy took his clothes off down to his underwear, same as Law.

"You are a child."

"I'm totally an adult!"

That caused Law to laugh as he settled into bed on his back, Luffy sliding in beside him, an adequate distance between. "So convincing too, you sound like one."

Luffy changed his tactics. "You know, I'm the one who should be concerned with dating an old man. Is that why you wash your face three times? Hide the wrinkles?"

"Ok, I can see we're both being assholes."

"Grumpy grandpa!"

"Go the fuck to sleep." Torao rolled over, facing away from the giggling Luffy to turn the lamp light off, casting them into darkness.

The bedroom quieted as they both got comfortable and it wasn't awkward, but Luffy felt like something was missing. Looking at Torao's back, he noticed the tattoo he normally didn't get to see across the doctor's shoulders.

Before he could really think about it, he reached over, with only a second's hesitation, he let himself touch it. Torao said nothing, didn’t even tense up, so Luffy allowed himself to explore. There wasn't any texture contrast, he knew that, but he liked tracing the lines of the rays, the circle, the smile.

He paused when a thought came to him; they were in bed, Cora knew they were together, they were boyfriends, and they were... sleeping together - actually sleeping. Wasn't that weird? And if Cora knew and had such a happy reaction, wouldn't the others? His friends loved Torao. His brothers... They'd be happy for him, he knew it, but he was sure to hear them complain.

Shanks would be ecstatic. He always told Luffy that love was a powerful motivator. He didn't really get that until now, but to be fair, the guy spoke a lot of bullshit when he was drunk so he didn't take it all too seriously. Besides, Shanks was a lot more promiscuous than anyone else (maybe besides Sanji) that he knew, and Luffy obviously was not...

Were they going too fast? They hadn't kissed, but they were sleeping together, they'd barely been dating a week but they _lived_ together.

And he almost pulled away, blushing, that frustration he felt in the morning returning, briefly, before he really remembered their conversation before. Law was comfortable with the pace Luffy set. This wasn't a traditional relationship, Luffy didn't have a checklist of prerequisites and a step-by-step tutorial, he could make it up as he went along.

Luffy was very good at improvising.

There were so many things he didn't know or understand about himself, but Law was patient. He wasn't shy about the physical part of a relationship, and didn't care if Luffy did or didn't want to try something. Which took a lot of anxiety out of the equation, because Luffy _wanted_ to but was afraid he wouldn't like it. And if he found out that the entire experience wasn't worth it, and he never wanted to do it again, Law was ok with that.

So, he didn't need to second-guess himself.

He moved his body closer, shuffling across the space between them to lean against Torao's back, tucking his hands in and ducking his head to nuzzle against the inked shoulders. Torao was warm, like he knew he would be, and his skin was soft. His nose brushed the taller man's shoulder and his lips tingled as they skimmed his back, not quite a kiss.

"'Night," He mumbled, body lazy with sleep. Torao hummed in response and he could feel the sound vibrate from the contact he had. It made Luffy grin because it was such a new sensation that he's never felt before; he's never been this close to someone, not even his brothers.

This is what he wanted; this is what made it special. This was why, even without the physical needs that other couples based their attraction on, Luffy knew that Torao was someone he could be with, like this. More.

It was in his heart.

* * *

Special Episode  
  


Luffy turned the camera to him, seeing his face come into focus on the screen. He grinned to the imaginary audience and said, "So, once that is done we can -"

"Hey, Luffy?" He stopped and looked to Usopp, knowing that any mistakes on film can be edited out, so he wasn’t worried about the interruption. Besides, his friend sounded panicked (though he kind of always did). Sure enough, the man was wide-eyed pointing at the kitchen behind him. "Is it supposed to be doing that?"

Twisting on his heels, Luffy was faced with a huge mess of water and steam pouring from the coffee maker. It sputtered water and coffee grounds onto the counter, the fridge beside it, the upper cabinets, even the floor.

No, it was not supposed to be doing that.

Cursing, he jumped into action, trying to push buttons to turn it off, yelping when water splattered on him, until he reached back and pulled the cord, unplugging the machine with a jerk. Slowly, the destructive piece of equipment stopped, steam no longer pouring out, noises dying.

"Holy shit, it looked like it was going to explode!" Usopp screeched. He was hiding across the kitchen behind the island, eyes peeking up from cover. He reached up and over to take the forgotten camera that was still rolling though, and he trained it onto Luffy standing in front of the mess, cord in hand, looking a mixture of disbelief and horror.

"No, no, no," Luffy started to whine in despair.

"Yeah," Usopp agreed. "Torao's gonna kill you."

"It's worse than that, Usopp! I lost the bet! I broke something!" He covered his head with his arms, pushing the rim of his hat down to hide his face. "I broke an _important_ something! Torao gets coffee every morning, I have to replace this tonight - no, wait." He sprung out of his sag with an idea. "If I can find the exact same kind and get it before he comes home, he won't even notice!"

He took his phone out to take pictures, mumbling to himself that it's bound to be something he could find at the store downtown. Usopp waved to the camera, "What about the challenge?"

"Forget it! New adventure! Find a replacement - ASAP! Come on!" Luffy yelled, running out the door like he was being chased and Usopp scrambled to follow, camera still recording.

It wasn't at the first store Luffy went to. Or the second.

He broke down and called Robin at the third, putting her on speaker phone so Usopp could hear and begging her to help him. But apparently, "That's an obscure brand, Luffy. It's expensive and usually specially delivered."

"Can't I find another one similar then? Like this one!" He sent her a picture of the one they were staring at. One of more than a dozen in the aisle.

"That one doesn’t make coffee the same way as the other."

"There's more than one way? Don't you just run hot water over coffee and it makes coffee?!"

"Torao's machine uses pressure."

"Of course." He growled under his breath. "Why does he have to be such a complicated dick?" And Usopp tried not to laugh too hard but the video shook slightly with his breathless cackles.

"You could try a specialty shop nearby, I'll send you the address," Robin said.

They followed her directions. They asked a member of the staff there for help, and Usopp and Luffy were taken around the shop's wares (full of coffee related things neither of them knew about). They didn't have the one Luffy needed, but - possible success - they could order it here.

It would arrive in three days, fastest shipping.

"That's good, right?"

"I guess it's the best I'm gonna get."

"Will Torao survive three days without his morning coffee? Will _you_? Come on, say your last words for the camera."

"If I wake up early enough to run to the cafe at the front of the neighborhood, then back with a coffee before him, he'll probably forgive me."

"... Are you going to do that?"

"It's just for three days."

"The guy wakes up at four in the morning."

"... yep."

"Also, that coffee machine is almost three hundred dollars."

"What?!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Last bit in there because I wrote it really fast and it just fit and I needed a laugh!
> 
> I think this might be one of my favorite chapters, if only because I really like this journey Luffy is taking to understand himself. And I REALLY wanted to take the opportunity to teach people about asexuality. It's an orientation, it doesn't mean they don't have a sex drive or won't have a partner they can/will have sex with, it's just for different reasons. In particular, Luffy is going to be sex-positive, which means he doesn't mind it. It's not something he looks for, it's not a high priority, etc. but he can participate on occasion.
> 
> I encourage people to look it up, because it's a fairly popular headcannon that Luffy is asexual.  
> It's also estimated that 1% of the population is. :)
> 
> Thank you for reading! Let me know what you think!


	17. Sunset - Chapter 17

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The romantic date that Law never dreamed about but now wanted to last forever.

There were more people on the reserve during the mornings rather than evenings; most tours took the majority of the day and the temperatures were more favorable. But Luffy knew of a few trails they could hit at the right intensity and time, so he led them there. It made a long loop around hilly terrain, branching off to cross the river where some falls were, back around to the oldest part of the forest, before going back to the entrance. Three hours hike, maybe. He got Sanji to make them a packed lunch just in case they went over.

In the beginning, they couldn't stay side by side until they hit the wider trails, but it slowly started to open up. They ran hard for a bit, challenging each other, but when Law started slowing as they began to ascend, Luffy kept pace beside him.

Even out of breath, Luffy kept talking, in the mood to chatter about the trails he knew, the things he's seen while out here, anything really. Torao listened, chimed in at times, generally entertained at all the adventures Luffy had gone on.

"Don't tell me we'll run into any bears."

"Nah, with how cold it is I don't think so, even though the bears here aren't aggressive. You can scare them away pretty easily. Campers leave food around though, so they get brave enough to sniff around."

There was a steep hillside where the two held onto a rope attached to trees along the way, which helped them keep their balance when dead leaves and dirt tried to slip out from under them. When they got to more even ground, Law was impressed with just how high they were, he could see the roofs of houses and the tall buildings of downtown on the horizon. Harder, mountainous terrain continued up to his left, but on his right, he could see the gentle slope that went down and around.

"We'll cross the river and follow it to the bay, walk the bridge, and hit the beginning of the beach."

"How many times did you go this way?"

"I don't know. So many. There's an official tour that takes you that way, but the river falls are my favorite. That's what I wanna show you."

"Your secret hideaway?"

"Sorta, I spent so much time here, me and my brothers. We even had a tree-house!"

Torao chuckled. "Had?"

"We made it ourselves, it didn't stand up very well over the years, but I can show you where we marked our tree. Oh! We should do a promise box!"

"What's that?"

"You put something of value in a box, not like, money value, but -"

"Sentimental."

"That one! You put it in a box. Bury it for ten years, and come back to find it again."

"Like a time capsule." Law smiled, but it didn't look all that happy. "Cute idea. A lot can happen in ten years though. Who's to say anything will be around by then?"

Luffy grunted in reluctant agreement. He understood where Law was coming from, but it was dark, and he didn't want Torao to dwell on that. "Think you'll go back one day? To Flevance?"

"It's under lockdown," Torao said flatly. "Nobody can go there now."

"Yeah, but someday you might be able to. If you wanted. Would it help?" Maybe it wouldn't, Luffy didn't know how he'd feel about something like that. Maybe seeing a place that used to be home, full of bitter-sweet memories, decades later with nothing left - would it be better? Or would holding onto the memories of what it _used_ to be, help more?

It took awhile for Law to answer, but Luffy let him think, knowing it was a loaded question and Torao probably hadn't considered it. "One day, if I could even think about it without hurting, there are a few places I'd like to see again."

"Any secret hideaways?"

"... I would go up to the top of this lighthouse; sit up there for hours and watch the ocean. Not much of a secret, though."

Seeing that Law was talking about such things with a light voice, he figured such innocent questions and memories didn't hurt too much, so he continued to ask about things. What was school like (they wore uniforms, ew), if they did anything different in observance of holidays (church events and carnivals), what their food was like (their ice cream was actually a type of gelato Law hadn't found anywhere else).

Soon, Torao was offering up the information on his own. It wasn't deep or personal, or the few times it hit too close to home, he moved on to another fact. Flevance was a country with a particular religion that Law didn't quite follow anymore, but apparently, he went to church often as a kid. He spoke about how beautiful the stained glass was, how tall, the echoes of songs within. He spoke about a sister of the church, but stopped halfway to change the subject to something else.

When he told Luffy about the festival, it reminded him of an amusement park several cities over, and the shorter man proceeded to make plans for them to go.

"I've never been to a festival here... They were Lami's favorite thing."

"Can we go to this one?" Luffy grabbed Torao's hand, tugging slightly in his beg. "Please?"

Law's eyes caught his, but weren't focused, face going pale as if he'd seen a ghost. Stopping suddenly on the trail, Luffy wondered if he did something wrong, but after looking at each other in silence - Law seeing through him and Luffy trying to see into him - they seemed to come back to reality together.

"Maybe... I think I'd like that," Torao replied, his voice slow, soft, and whimsical.

"Really?" After his reaction, Luffy wanted to be sure.

"Yeah." Torao gave him a small smile. "Lami loved the ferris wheel most. Can we go on that?"

Grinning, Luffy nodded enthusiastically, feeling warm in his chest. If the festival held this much meaning to Law, then he wanted to share it.

He also really wanted to share the view they came to when they broke the treeline. It wasn't anything special compared to popular nature pictures and such. A simple river; twenty feet wide, shallow, multiple little falls that kept the current moving fast enough but not dangerous.

Immediately after arriving at their destination, Luffy pointed out the remains of the lumber used for their treehouse. He leaned down to pick out some smooth pebbles, millions of which lined the riverbed. "I used to find fossils, rocks with the crystals in them, whatever - I'd sell them if they were worth anything."

"It's nice. The water looks clean."

"Yeah, we never got sick off of it." He looked around to take it in, he hadn't seen it since before the fire. "I'd stay out here days - weeks at a time. Sometimes Dadan didn't have the money to take care of us or even herself. She'd travel for work and be gone so long, and we never had a stable place to live. Sometimes it was easier to survive out here than in the city. I could catch fish, hunt squirrels and rabbits. Depending on the season."

"In a treehouse?" Law asked. His voice raised in curiosity and concern but teetered on disbelief. "During winter?"

Chuckling, Luffy nodded, throwing his pebble down the bank as far as he could; a past time activity that he did. As dull as it was, it was something that helped keep him stimulated out here in the middle of nowhere. "We'd stay in the city if we could for winter, but living on the streets was hard and dangerous with everyone fighting for shelter and warmth. Sabo would line the treehouse with as many blankets as we could."

"Luffy-ya, with how cold it gets..." They both knew what he meant to say. He was right, no matter how much insulation they tried to put between them and the elements, it wasn't enough. Law sighed, not finishing that thought. "So, why was Dadan taking care of you? Do you know who your biological parents are?"

"I think my mom's dead, having me or shortly after. " Luffy shrugged. "There's no record of her. I have a dad somewhere, and my grandpa is a war vet; he's the one who placed me here. Kinda dumped Ace and I and left. Sabo said he looked up the information once he had the clearance to with his job, but... I don't really care to know any more. It doesn't matter what happened or why. "

"You made your own family anyway," Law echoed his thoughts.

"Yeah, and they did the best they could for me. I was the youngest by a handful of years so... they learned as they went and I got to follow. It's the closest I got to being raised, but I think I turned out ok..." He tried to pull off the grin he usually wore, turning to see Law and reassuring him. "Come on, I remembered something."

Carefully, Luffy lead the way across natural stones that made a sort of bridge across the river. This part of it was only two or three feet deep and the rocks weren't terribly small or distant. Law still lectured him though, and he giggled at how big a deal Torao made of jumping across a few stones.

"You're just afraid to get your pants wet."

"You're making me feel like a spoiled city-boy."

"Oh, you _are_ ." Luffy laughed loudly at the expression Law made. "You have a three hundred dollar coffee machine, don't _even_ pretend you're not."

"Fuck off, I paid you back - even if _you_ broke it."

" _Spoiled_."

Even giggling as he was, he reached over to help Torao the last bit of the way to the bank, and as grumpy as Torao looked, he accepted the help. They stopped at the tree that used to hold the treehouse, broken weathered wood on the ground, nails still trying to hold together what was left.

There was a backpack on Luffy's shoulders; first aid kit and Sanji's food and stuff - typical survival gear that he put together after the bear-trap hike. He shrugged it off and gave it to Law, who had added water and snacks to it so they could share one bag. Torao put it on himself. "What are you doing?"

"Wanna film something for me?"

"Absolutely not. I told you I was not going to participate in your dumb -"

"I'm just climbing this tree, relax," Luffy laughed. He jumped up to the first hanging branch, latching on and lifting himself up onto it.

"Damn it, you stupid monkey, don't fall."

"I'm not," He swung to the next branch thick enough to hold his weight, getting a foothold on the bark of the tree. "Used to do this all the time."

"Yeah, no wonder you broke so many bones. I swear, if I have to carry your ass down this mountain..."

Although he did get slightly worried about the branches further up withstanding his weight, he found that he didn't need to go that high, as what he looked for almost literally fell into his hands. It was a torn piece of fabric, frayed at the ends. What used to be black was faded into a splotchy grey in some areas, but the letters were still legible. Little metal grommets and chain attached to the tree were the only reasons it's survived so long in the elements. It had to be almost a decade old by now.

"Got it!" He cheered, and he started making his way back down, jumping the last bit. When he was stable on the ground again, he unfurled the cloth to show a flag, the letters ASL on it in handwritten paint. "Usopp made one for our group - it has a straw hat on it! But this was for me and my brothers."

“I’m surprised it lasted this long out here.”

“It’s in rough shape, but it meant a lot...”

“It holds sentimental value,” Law smirked. “We have mason jars from the food, if you wanted to make a time capsule.”

“Yeah!”

Both men sat on the bank for a while, eating their packed meals, talking about things. It seemed like both of them were nostalgic and they swapped stories; some good, some sad, but it was nice to share. There weren't very many opportunities to talk about such things, but their relationship revolved around this ease of communication and understanding of each other.

Luffy actually took a nap somewhere in there, with his head in Torao's lap, soaking up the sun and the affectionate petting of his hair. They've not only gotten closer emotionally, but physically over the last few days. While Luffy has always been a person who touched others freely, he’s found that cuddling with Torao was one of his favorite things to do, and as they began to sleep next to each other the tactility has become familiar.

A few hours before sunset, they cleaned out one of the jars and buried a hole at the base of Luffy's tree, far enough down that it wouldn't be easily disturbed even if the river bank flooded. Luffy rolled the flag up and set it inside then asked if Torao wanted to put anything in it.

The doctor deliberated a bit before he started to unravel a bracelet on his wrist. A long, handmade rope that Cora, Bepo, Shachi, and Penguin made for him years ago. It used to be a charm he'd wrap around the hilt of his sword for kendo; a good luck token. Considering the fact that Law practiced vigorously when he was upset, the charm served as a reminder that he had a family who loved him, that he wasn't alone.

For a long time, it had its place on his wrist, still serving its purpose to remind him. His heart ached at the thought of leaving it behind - his pessimistic mind screaming that it would be gone forever if he did. Here lately though, he hasn't needed it, and he's been trying to avoid crutches that spoke of his insecurities.

He wanted to trust. In them and in himself, that he wouldn't be abandoned or fight alone. He wanted to hope that things would still be here in ten years and that he and Luffy would come back to dig it up and remember.

_"You can’t forget the past but… you can choose to look at the future instead." Kuzan had said._

With a soft smile, Law dropped it into the jar. Together, they sealed it and buried it, leaving no mark other than the disturbed dirt behind them. Law shouldered the backpack, content with the light weight while Luffy washed his hands of all the dirt he got on him and filled their bottles.

The sky was slowly turning orange and Law wanted to observe the sunset on the bay. Going down was a lot easier and faster than traveling up the trails before, but they didn't rush. This part of the forest was old and the trees were towering, trunks five feet in diameter or more. Law was the most relaxed he'd been in a long time with this trip. After listening to the babbling river falls, the birds singing, Luffy snoring - he was glad he finally gave in to Luffy’s pleading on going for a hike. It was a rare day off that he wanted to spend wisely, and he has.

He felt like he could let go. He wanted more days like this.

Before, Law used to think romance was pretty pointless. Silly dates where the couple held hands and fed each other and stared into their eyes; it was all so sickening. He was used to thinking it was all just some trick to get what they wanted - because who could be that enamored with anyone? People did stupid things in the name of love and Law didn't get it.

On the other hand, Luffy felt so strongly about doing things like that. He wanted to be close; physically and mentally, and it was a special and unique feeling Law never had before. Never before was a relationship based on this type of connection. Usually, anybody he dated would have already been bedded, first of all.

And... Well, Luffy _was_ in his bed.

But it was a different kind of intimacy that he would have been terrified of if he didn't trust him already. Luffy knew all of his secrets and accepted all of his baggage like it was nothing and Law found himself bewitched. He _liked_ having that attention focused on him, so the stupid starring into the eyes thing? Law liked it. The hand holding? Law initiated it. Feeding each other?

Well, Law would probably lose the hand if he tried, so he'd do without that part.

It was really sweet though, and the doctor found himself looking forward to their dates whether it was at home or outside. He found himself smiling more, sleeping more, working less, stressing less!

When he discovered Luffy's sexual interests, he hadn't been surprised. Not once did Luffy look at him in lust or touch him with any kind of sexual intent. And even if he wasn't shy about it nor would have minded if he did, Law was touched in a different way; because that meant that Luffy wanted to be with _him_ as he was.

Not even the money he made seemed to be the motivator there. As Law came to understand Luffy's background and the life he's had without the money for basic necessities, it still astounded him that Luffy stubbornly remained independent on a lot of things. Nami would call him a sugar daddy all she pleased but the fact of the matter was, without even asking, food and lodging were the only elements Luffy didn't pay for.

Which was why he even had three hundred plus dollars to replace the coffee machine he broke. Contrary to belief, he didn't complain either, he paid for it, he got Law coffee in the mornings to make up for it, and honestly, Law was too stunned at the behavior to really be mad. That little jerk knew just what to do in order to be forgiven: look cute, bring coffee.

Of course, he wasn't going to make Luffy pay for an expensive machine that Law had purchased just for indulgence, especially when he was the only one who used it. He paid him back.

Law, Sabo, and Nami harassed him until he started to save what he could and Luffy, for the first time, had money to spare. What did he do with it? Buy Torao coffee, apparently. Among a few other things. So, it wasn’t money Luffy was after either.

In any case, these sappy dates were melting Law’s heart and now he couldn’t help but stare at the way dappled sunshine fell upon the fighter in chaotic rays. Befitting of the man, as he jauntily made his way around trees, jumping onto and over the rocks and roots as they travelled down the path.

Luffy stopped them once to look at weird bugs he found, and Law partially wondered if the guy was just doing it to tease him about being a city-boy again when he displayed his totally-reasonable fear/respect for them to remain far away. Then wondered _why did he like this idiot?_ As the asshole tried to chase him with the giant beetle-looking thing he picked up.

* * *

When the trails started transitioning from dirt and rock to more of a fine sand and the trees started to thin out, Luffy took Torao’s hand to lead them along to the bay. He knew he could lack social awareness and often failed at reading the atmosphere, but he’d taken advice given to him by Sanji. Well, some anyway.

The man was a romantic kind of lover who tended to go way overboard, and was very particular about his suggestions on how to woo a lady. Being that his tactics didn’t always work, was geared towards women, and seemed way too extravagant, Luffy took it all with a grain of salt. He thinks he got the basics down though; picnic, sunset, beautiful view, etc. He thinks he successfully made this date a good one.

Pat on the back and score one for Luffy! Who said he couldn’t do it? Nami owes him money, he _totally_ came up with an awesome date idea and _nailed_ it. The most important thing was that Torao liked it though. Which, by the gentle smile on his face and the way he’d been acting, Luffy was confident in saying he did.

The hand in his was warm. A surgeon’s hands that were smooth and soft from washing, firm and steady from practice. He wanted to feel it against his cheek so, in a way he’d seen in movies, he brought it up to place a kiss on the back of the hand, caressing the skin with his lips. He grinned when Law’s cheeks got rosey in return.

“You’re ridiculous.” The man said mulishly. The way he looked away, embarrassed, told Luffy he didn’t mind at all.

“Look!” With his free hand, Luffy pointed to the open waves of the bay they came across, the horizon of which turned various colors with the sunset. “Hey, if you like this so much, you should come with us the next time we take Franky’s boat out. It’s so much fun!”

“Maybe.”

“Come on, we can walk the beach up to the wall and get back to the trail that will take us to the reserve entry gate.”

Luffy collected a few shells along the way, intending to give the really nice ones to Usopp to make something out of. Law was content to follow, even conceding to taking his shoes off to get his feet wet with the incoming waves.

They left the beach too soon in Luffy’s opinion, but the night grew darker and the trail they got on afterwards to return to the reserve’s headquarters had tall street lamps that turned on. The sidewalk followed the street for a bit but there were hardly any cars driving around in the area at this time.

Which is why they were understandably surprised when one came careening down the road and swerved at the last second in front of them. Headlights blinded them momentarily, and both men jumped back to stay out of it’s way.

The tires screeched, burning black rubber marks up the curb and across the sidewalk. Lights flashed as the vehicle was put into park. At first, Luffy had thought it was an accident; some idiot who couldn't drive almost hitting two pedestrians and running over a lamp pole. But he started reevaluating that when three of the doors swung open and some pretty angry looking guys came out.

Three guys, big muscles and hard heads, intimidating. They stepped up with surety that they could do whatever they wanted and would use force if necessary. It irked Luffy, as he’d seen plenty of guys who acted the same come at him with such overconfidence because they were taller or buffier.

If they were here for a fight, then they would soon learn the lesson. Luffy has taken down bigger. He didn’t recognize any of them though, so he didn’t know where they came from or why they’d be after them.

Torao stepped closer, slightly in front, and Luffy frowned. "Vergo."

The name sounded familiar. It took a second to remember from where, but when he did, his body tensed further with the anticipated fight. Vergo was the traitor marine that beat Torao up when he was younger, Cora too.

Luffy was definitely looking forward to kicking his ass now. The two guys that came with him next. Three against two wasn't fair, but Luffy wasn't afraid; his grin got feral around the edges with the challenge.

"Get in the car, Law."

"Hell no."

Wait, what? They wanted Law to come with them? Bullshit on that!

"Get in the car, or things will not go well for you. Or your little boyfriend."

Stepping around Law, Luffy made to respond to the threat. "Nah, it's not going to go so well for _you_ actually."

Torao made a fist in his shirt just behind the shoulder, tugging to keep him close. "Stop," He hissed. At Luffy's scowl, Law continued to explain. "He has a gun."

Vergo, he was assuming it was the tall guy, dark skinned, shaved head and stupid shades on - tilted his head and patted his hip where the shape and shadow of a pistol could be seen just under the blazer. He didn't smirk, seemed to want to keep that cool angry face on for intimidation, but his expression was too smug.

"We're a bit far from anyone who could help you. I'm sure nobody would find your body for another two days on these trails."

Luffy seethed. He thought about his chances, factoring a weapon like that in. It wasn’t a good risk to take. He tried to think of something else that could get them out of this situation.

The entrance to the reserve was still a mile away, there weren't a lot of trees for defense, at the fastest they'd still be too slow to cover that in time. Nobody was around to hear them and he was sure any innocents wouldn't be spared the same treatment. He had no weapon. Maybe he could get to his phone and make a discreet call but the time it would take Sabo to track and follow -

So what if the guy had a gun - what would be the use if he didn't hit his target? There was a six foot distance between them, how fast could he really draw and aim it?

"Get in the car, Law." Vergo said slower.

No. No, this was bullshit. He wrapped his arm around Law's waist because he knew the man was going to listen. Luffy wasn’t letting him go, Vergo can go to hell. It was stupid and hardheaded but damn if he stood back and did nothing while Torao got kidnapped.

These guys didn't have much patience, Vergo wasn't playing around, and a second later he was already pulling out the weapon, sure to use it as a better motivator than just his veiled threats.

Once again, Torao got in the way. Fully blocking him this time, turning to face Luffy and putting his arms around his shoulders in an embrace to trap him. The fighter moved back, shifted to the side to see around Law's shoulder, growled at the fact that there was now a gun pointed at his back and Luffy was being protected -

"Stop, Luffy!"

Before he could argue, Vergo spoke again, in that monotonous tone of voice that suggested he didn't have a single care about what he was doing. "Doflamingo wanted me to bring you in. Alive. He said nothing about anyone else getting in the way."

"I get it," Law snapped back. "I'll be there in a second."

Growling, Luffy grabbed at Law's sides. He stopped struggling, more concerned now with Law pulling away. "Don't you fucking dare."

"Just go straight to Cora. He'll -"

"Don't, Torao."

"Please, just listen to me." The man leaned back, arms traveling to Luffy's face. He forced the man's eyes to look into his and not the guy with a loaded barrel over his shoulder. "Don't be stupid."

"You're being stupid." Luffy hissed back, but his hands released their grip on Law's sides slowly. Captivated by molten gold, Luffy could sense that Torao was scared, but not for himself. He was angry, anxious, but his hands on his cheeks were desperate in order to get his message across.

"Hurry it up." Vergo snapped.

Luffy felt cold with rage, shoulders shaking, but the angrier and more restless he got, the more composed Law was in return. "It's fine."

Suddenly, Luffy was reminded of Ace at the window of the fire station, trying to comfort him when everything burned around them. Law ducked down to place a kiss at the corner of his mouth. Then he was leaning back, out of Luffy's lax hold.

Two steps behind, Vergo snatched the doctor's backpack, yanking him the rest of the way. Law was pushed towards the sedan, almost hitting it and he shrugged the hand off of him violently. "Don't fucking touch me, I'm getting in the car!"

The sight of the gun trained on him kept Luffy rooted to the spot, mind still reeling, jaw clenched so hard it hurt, mind searching for solutions. He wasn't terribly good at plans and fresh out of ideas that didn't involve throwing himself into a dangerous mix that would most likely get him killed. Numbly, internally screaming, he watched Law get into the back seat of the car, windows tinted too dark to see him afterwards. Vergo followed him, and immediately after shutting the door, the vehicle shifted into drive, peeling away.

Two guys remained behind.

At least they didn't have guns as far as he could tell. By the look on their faces they still figured he would be an easy target to take down. They easily had over a foot in height and probably a good two-dozen pounds over Luffy, but little did they know that it didn’t matter.

Still trying to relax his muscles, to breathe and think about what to do, torn between running after the car like he’d be able to chase it down, and immediately calling Sabo to start some kind of plan… The only thing standing in his way were two assholes he could take out this frustration on.

He grinned. More of a baring of teeth. These two would be getting no mercy - he didn't have time for playing around.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> New chapter! I'm working on a little carpentry project to make 2 bookcases so my time is split. But I've got one down! 
> 
> The first part of this chapter was hard to write too. My internal Law kept changing his mind on how he reacted to this date; whether he just went along, internally melted into loving goo, or resisted it out of habit or something. Which he ended up doing a bit of all three. Luffy is so cute, he's trying. He might not always be this dedicated to planning a date, but Law is going to need more time before he's on the same level. 
> 
> Next chapter: Doffy makes his entrance >:)


	18. Sunset - Chapter 18

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Punk Hazard is a funny name for a government-run laboratory. Maybe they shouldn't have had the resident insane scientist name it.

Doflamingo hadn’t really changed; still liked to wear pink, still wore those shades even indoors, still smiled like a creepy pedophile or something - was as pretentious as ever. Law could go on. He would have, there were lots of things Law hated about his “uncle,” but at the moment his lips were taped shut.

Vergo hadn’t appreciated the verbal abuse Law could dish out, and when Law gave him broken fingers and a bloody nose for trying to touch him again, the man ended up wrestling Law into cuffs and slapping duck tape onto his mouth. Despite the situation, Law couldn’t help but smirk, because Vergo looked like hell and those fingers would have to be set properly if they were going to have any chance of healing right.

He was sat down in this gaudy red plush chair, cuffs hooked around the arms to keep him still, and that’s where Doflamingo found him. The guy was tall, Law never got to really find out which brother was taller, but even with his slouch, the blonde towered over him. “Still such a little brat,” He said. His laughter was creepy too. 

Seeing as Law couldn’t reply, he just tried to convey his general disgust and hatred through expression. There wasn’t much that could be said anyway other than asking a bunch of questions. It was extremely unexpected for Doflamingo to be here and there was no foreseeable reason that he would kidnap Law. 

What went down over a decade ago left bitter resentment and Law would be lying if he said he hadn’t thought about hunting Doflamingo down in vengeance, but neither side made a move. Cora wanted to keep far away from his brother and Dressrosa’s dangerous organized crime, heal from his wounds, and try to give Law a chance at a future. Doflamingo didn’t have the time or resources to spare to hunt them down, nor did he have any value in doing so. 

So why?

“Meet Caesar. He’s a scientist working for me,” The man introduced with a wave and smile. A small man in a white coat hurried over with a case of equipment. “He’s going to require a few things from you to get started.”

Law struggled at the sight of a needle and Caesar huffed. “Now, now, stop squirming. I need a blood sample. You’re a doctor, right? Work with me here.”

Obviously, the scientist was a quack who didn’t know what he was doing because the asshole couldn’t find a vein until two tries later even with Law holding still. He didn’t put adequate pressure either, so the vials he used to collect samples with took forever to fill. Law spent the time glaring at Doflamingo as if to say,  _ “You trust this guy with anything?” _

“Caesar is a chemist and biological engineer. He’s worked with me on a particular project for years.”

“With little success, until now.” Caesar murmured. He looked at the glass vials with glee that bordered on obsessive. 

Law growled something and Doflamingo chuckled at the attempt to communicate. Out of pure curiosity, the blonde bent down to cheerfully rip the duck tape off. It hurt, Law thinks it took a bit of facial hair with it, but he gritted his teeth and refused to make a sound of pain. He breathed in slowly. “Where am I?”

“A little place called Punk Hazard, it’s a research laboratory a bit out of the city. The business has grown a lot since the last time I saw you, we’ve extended our reach. I would extend an offer for you to work work with me, but I can see my brother has twisted your mind against the idea."

"Yeah, I guess he brainwashed me into thinking killing people was wrong. Nothing at all to do with my own morals or code."

"But you didn't always have those morals. You were ready to burn the whole world in revenge once." Doffy grinned like he was proud, remembering those moments. "Such a shame. You could have ruled with me."

"Ruled  _ what, _ a bunch of people who think they can do whatever they want no matter the consequences? That's how Flevance ended up destroyed in the first place; greedy people, who use their power to hurt others to get what they want!" Law growled. "Whatever you're after now, Cora will put a stop to, just like he did last time!"

The blonde's head tilted to the side dramatically, grin falling into a frown. He didn't look too upset yet, but Law's hair was standing on end as it always did when Doffy's eyes focused intently onto him. Underneath the shades, Law couldn't see what was inside them, but the feeling of malevolence gave him shivers.

"You rely on him too much," Doflamingo stated, voice slow and chilling. "Such a weakness. This little boyfriend of yours too; I was expecting more of a fight against Vergo bringing you in, but threatening him made you comply easily. I warned you against trusting the bonds of others. Seems you'll have to learn the lesson the hard way."

The man stood up from his crouch, once more overwhelmingly tall, but he moved back to the door in his lazy slouch. Caesar scrambled to gather things together and follow, giggling in a way that suggested he was unhinged, mumbling about tests and experiments like some mad scientist.

Like an afterthought, Doflamingo turned to give him another piece of information. "This place is a Marine sanctioned laboratory, they're the ones funding the whole project. They'll make sure to lead my brother in the opposite direction - although, even if that doesn't keep him occupied for long, by the time he'd find you, it would be too late."

The door shut but Law didn't hear any lock turn. Left alone, he studied the room he was in; it looked like an office space. There was a desk with a computer, bookshelves with textbooks, 2x2 ceiling tiles, and fluorescent lights, and tacky art on the wall. It was far from a dark dank cellar any victim who was kidnapped could expect to be thrown in. 

His plush chair was solid wood with carved designs in the arm and backrests, and there was no give when he pulled on the cuffs. He slid them up and down, looking for weak spots. His legs were free and his chair wasn't nailed to the ground but it was too big and heavy to think he could just drag it out the door and leave the area with it, without getting caught.

He did push himself backward though, legs catching and pulling on the thin carpet, making it difficult; Law growled at the effort, trying to pick it up to make it easier and shifted inches at a time. When he got to the computer, his cuffs wouldn't let him reach for the mouse or keyboard but when he saw the password-protected login he realized it was a fruitless endeavor anyway.

Huffing, he searched around where he could, trying to think of something, unable to just accept his situation and give up. He needed to contact Cora or Luffy; they needed to know that whatever Doffy was up to now, he had the support of the government. 

That thought clicked something into place, the revelation that the marines were helping Doflamingo - supporting a laboratory, researching something that was bound to be weaponized... sounded a lot like a secret Akainu and Kuzan would be aware of and try to hide.

A secret that could get others killed. Particularly people who had access to that kind of information and would protest against it - like the fire chief.

Shit, what did they get into now? What was Doffy doing this time?

He spent hours thinking about it; he didn't know how long it had been, the office didn't have a window and the lights stayed bright and glaring. Nothing of importance or usefulness was in the desk, no textbooks told him anything.

Nobody came to see him, he heard nothing, and after yelling out obscenities in the hopes someone would let him out in failure, he just started to make annoying thumping noises by tilting his chair back to hit against the wall.

It was at least stimulating enough to keep him from going mad, he put his feet up on the desk, pushing back and forth to rock on the back two chair legs comfortably. Mindlessly staring at the tiled ceiling, wondering if he could sneak above them like in the movies to get out. 

Finally, though he wasn't sure he should be thankful for it, Vergo stormed in with the scientist on his heels. Law was barely able to get all four legs of the chair balanced on the ground before Vergo was manhandling him. 

Any choice words Law had for him was ignored, but the doctor could see the twitching of the man's eyebrow. His cuffs were removed from the chair but Vergo already had the advantage of height and weight on him so there was no way to wiggle free before he was being pushed around. His whole body impacted with the floor harshly so that Vergo could move his hands behind his back. 

"What the fuck! Do you have to prove your dominance over everything, or just me?"

"Shut up." He was dragged to his feet, forced to comply or else risk his shoulder being pulled out of the socket. He was forced out of the office into a hallway, Caesar following them. 

"Where are we going?"

"Results were not conclusive. Need more. Closer to the source." Caesar replied. 

"What does that mean?"

"Bone sample."

That didn’t sound like anything Law wanted to give, nor would it be as easy as drawing blood. "That's an invasive procedure and I severely doubt you have the required experience and/ or room for it."

Vergo scoffed. "Not hard to do. Stick a hollow needle in, draw out the marrow, twist, pull out bone. I found instructions for it in a search."

"Oh, brilliant, why don’t I just give you my doctor’s license? Clearly your knowledge surpasses mine!” His voice was angry, but behind it, Law was starting to feel panicked. 

Caesar directed them down a hall, part of which had windows viewing into laboratory space. He was taken into a side room, that must serve as their lounge area, with a little kitchenette and a dining table for six that Vergo told him to get on.

Far from a sterile place, Law started to struggle more, sharply understanding how this procedure was going to be carried out and beyond not okay with it. “I am not going to-“

The door opened once more to allow for two other scientists, assistants it seemed, to enter. They sat down their equipment to help restrain Law when he really started to fight. With four people and cuffed hands behind his back, he didn’t have much of a chance. He was dropped onto the dining table, where people  _ ate _ , and Vergo held him down with the help of an assistant. Caesar and another assistant fought to get clear access to his hip.

The pelvic bone was an easier, common, target for gathering bone samples but it meant that his pants were pulled down indecently to get to. “Alright, no worries, this will be super quick, you won’t even notice! Well, you might,” Caesar giggled. “Monet, needle!”

Law watched him make grabby hands at the woman until he had the tool in hand. It was not a normal needle, at least they got that right. Basically, it was a huge hollow screw with a metal handle that could allow for better grip and could be fitted with several accessories like a syringe for the marrow and a draw to take out what would essentially be a core from his left pelvic bone. 

The only preparation done was a quick clean with alcohol to the area and what might have been local anesthesia (that would do jack-shit and didn’t even have time to kick in) just below the hip, before the crazy scientist just went and tried to stab him. Law yelled for them to wait, to fucking listen to instructions from the doctor who could point out all the stupid shit they were doing but nobody was listening.

Vergo was cruelly laying all his weight on Law’s chest and someone, an assistant, was sitting on his legs, his arms were still behind him, locked and trapped beneath their bodies. He felt claustrophobic, his breathing was erratic, and his little attempts to buck or squirm away were pathetic at best.

How much sample material they got? Law couldn’t say, he was too busy screaming in pain and anger. First, the needle dug into his skin in an area that didn’t have much fat tissue, then the hole was widened in rough circles before driving straight down into the bone. Like a corkscrew, the handle was twisted - and not in a straight manner either. Caesar had to make several rotations, letting go to get a new grip and turning it again.

Law couldn’t help but try to jerk away, and it didn’t help, but he couldn’t see how worse it may have been between staying still or moving around. Already he swore he could feel every single turn as Caesar put his arm into it, chiseling bone out bit by bit, agonizingly slow. Then he stopped, tool lodged in place while he extracted marrow. Pure stem cells that could become red blood cells, white blood cells, or platelets; discolored slightly from the normal look of blood, but similar in viscosity. Caesar wasn’t careful about removing the needle afterward either, more or less jerking it out callously. 

It was a torture Law would never wish on someone, and suffice to say, this was not how things were typically done. By the successful cheer Caesar made, he supposes it was good enough. 

“Take him back! If this works, I may need more!” The man screamed as he ran out of the room in excitement.

If he had the ability to say anything at that moment, Law would have. From a string of curses to pleads of ‘never again,’ but as it was, Law could barely see passed the tears and his breathing hiccuped as Vergo let up from his chest. Likewise, his legs were released from the added weight as well, but Law couldn’t bring himself to move anymore to make use of this freedom; his hip was on fire. An assistant left behind, Monet, at least tried to stop the bleeding (which wasn’t much) from the small hole in his body and bandaged it up. 

The assistants led Vergo further away to the doorway of the breakroom, leaving Law splayed out on the dining table. He was thankful for their distraction though because it gave Law the chance to get his shit together.

A palm on his arm made him jump in surprise and he flinched away, glaring harshly, ready and able to speak once more - and he had nothing nice to say. However, the familiar face he saw hovering above him, gave him pause. “Baby?”

She looked a lot older now, but he supposed he would too. Baby was an orphan girl off the streets of Spider Miles, a neighboring city to Dressrosa. Unlike Law, it wasn’t Cora who drew her in, but the opportunity and protection offered by the organized crime syndicate Doflamingo lead. Doffy welcomed her and many other children; they were useful to him so long as they were loyal - like little pawns. Only a few years younger than him, Baby was the closest to his age; while they hadn’t been necessarily close, being part of the gang and privy to the inner workings of Doflamingo and his cruelty brought them a certain camaraderie.

“It’s been a long time, Law.” She helped him sit up, though the shifting of weight onto his hip left his vision riddled with spots and nausea. He feared he might pass out, but they cleared and his stomach settled. “Easy,” She cooed. Then turned away to speak to another. “I’ll take him back to the office.”

“I wouldn’t take such a chance-” Vergo began but his sentence was cut off by another man’s, unfamiliar to Law. 

“I’ll be with her. Doflamingo wanted you with the kids, right? Nobody is watching them.”

With a grunt of agreement but disgust, Vergo left and Baby shifted his attention to introduce Law to the new visitor. “This is Sai. My, um, fiancé.”

That was something… Law didn’t know if he was supposed to be surprised. Throughout their time together, Baby had held onto anyone who gave her a sense of affection. She’d been afraid of a lot, cried easily, and strived to be seen as useful and needed. Often, that powerful assertive attitude that Law appreciated in her was stifled under the pressure to be liked by everyone. He never knew what her life was like before the Donquixote gang, nor did she know much of his, but that was willful ignorance. Law didn’t want to pry into why she’d flinch at certain things and she never asked what his nightmares had been about.

Now wasn’t exactly the time to properly or amicably meet any potential husband of hers. What was he supposed to say, congratulations? Thankfully, he was saved from any reply when she motioned for him to get off the table. 

Her hands were out like she’d help him, but he refused the support. Already, his legs were hanging over the edge, and his feet landed on the vinyl flooring gently. Slowly, more weight was added, and he kept his legs from giving out through sheer willpower.

“We’ll get you back to the office where you can rest,” Baby tempted. “I’ll bring you something to eat and a drink. Doffy said nothing about letting you starve.”

“Pain meds would be nice,” Law gritted out. “If you’re taking requests.”

She giggled, high pitched and out of tune, not really a natural reaction, but more to keep the mood up or make her feel less guilty about what Law was going through right now. He could be sharper in his interaction with her; she had a part to play in this just as everyone else did, but Law was sympathetic.

Both of them knew what it was like to commit to something for Doflamingo when it went against their opinions and beliefs. 

_ There was an owl with a broken wing in front of him and Law stared at it as the animal tried its best to rest and recover. He didn’t know how it happened, Law had just found the poor thing in the grass, scrambling and flapping uselessly, crying in pain. Carefully, not knowing what else to do, he’d picked it up and carried it inside.  _

_ Maybe he could help fix it. Barely thirteen years old, Law had already been consumed with spots; running a fever and feeling every joint in his body as it ached. He had all but accepted the fact that his time was running out; none of his tests in the lab bore any success, Cora was getting desperate in finding a doctor who would take on a child with the white amber sickness. Most of the others let him be, either afraid of contracting the disease or uncomfortable knowing that they were in the presence of a boy with such little time left, that they were essentially watching him die in front of them.  _

_ That was fine, he found that he didn’t want to be around others anyway. His fever burned without reprieve now, and he would have random bouts of energy to get up and walk around. He remembered seeing a book on birds and even though he only really knew about the human body (and given up hope that he’d ever become a doctor like his parents), he wondered if he could research how to wrap it.  _

_ A broken wing could be healed, couldn’t it? The owl could survive and go on to lead a happy life… _

_ But Doflamingo, hovering just over his shoulder, whispered that it would never be the same. “They’d never fly again. Imagine; he’ll never be able to hunt, never find a mate, or breed, or have a territory of his own. A wild animal, majestic as he was, reduced to life in a cage. Unable to do what he was meant to. Is that a life worth living? Would you take that away?” _

_ “No,” Law had whispered. He knew what living in a cage felt like; he himself would never be able to ‘fly’ again. Even if he somehow cured himself of his poison, what would he be living for? _

_ Doflamingo took his hand, huge in comparison, cool to the touch against his feverish skin. The man was uncharacteristically gentle, voice soft and sad as they looked at the bird. It looked like it was in pain and Doffy painted a vivid picture that Law could relate to; its life rotting away from the inside because the world was cruel and he didn’t deserve this, but it was a life that was dealt to him.  _

_ “The weak do not get to choose how they die.” _

_ Looking back, Law would realize how fake it had all been. How Doflamingo’s ‘kind and sympathetic’ words were mere manipulating strings that played him like a doll. The heavy handle of a knife in Law’s hand encased with Doflamingo’s was presented as an answer. _

_ “The strong can. Would you choose to let the creature live in a life of hell, or die mercifully while at it’s strongest?” _

_ Will you allow the white amber lead to take you? Or will you die on your own terms? _

_ Numbly, like he was having a hallucination (and perhaps he was, his fever was high enough), he watched their joined hands end the bird’s life with the knife. His arm carried out the movements with Doflamingo guiding it, and when they finally let go, his palm was slippery on the handle with blood.  _

_ Law will never forget. It was the first and only life he had ever taken; a broken oath that he felt in his heart. He didn’t realize he was crying until Doflamingo touched his cheek. Blood smeared where tears once were and the blonde had a smile, a grin, wide on his face when Law looked at him. “Are you strong, Law?” He didn’t have an answer to that. “I sense that you can be.”  _

_ The knife was picked up again, twirled in the man’s hand before being offered to Law, handle first. Unthinkingly, Law took it, and one of Doflamingo’s large hands patted his head soothingly as he turned to go.  _

_ The boy was left alone, suddenly shook with the realization of the knife’s purpose. Suddenly, what was once a silent, foggy mind, burst into noise with reasons and possibilities and the thoughts scared him so much that the knife dropped to the floor as he backed away. Away from the weapon, from the mess of blood and feathers. Blood on his face and hands itched, the memory of the bird’s final cries echoed, and the weight of his action fell upon him. _

“This is it, really.” The words brought him out of the past and Law looked up at Baby, recalling their conversation. She had a bottle of extra-strength acetaminophen, but fuck if he was going to refuse it, despite what little it would do. 

His throat was choked up, and he didn’t want to acknowledge how spaced-out he was at the moment while he took a few pills and tried to get himself under control. Instead, he had Baby lead the way to the office and followed her sedately. Her husband-to-be was at the rear, and even though the pain flared with every step, the pain was clearing his head and allowing him to focus on the present. 

“I didn’t think you’d stay,” Law stated. They got back to the office he was left in and he softly sat in the plush red chair, suddenly grateful for the gaudy but comfortable furniture.

“I did leave…” Her voice was low, slightly sad, and said like a secret. “I met Sai while working at a cafe. But, Doffy had need of me.”

“And because he said he needed you, you came crawling back?” 

“No!” His dry words clearly offended her. She smacked him upside the head and his glare made her shrink back. “I-I just…” Her gaze went to Sai and back. “Neither of us could refuse. Listen, Law, I’m sorry, I -”

She looked like she was going to cry, which in of itself was not anything Law would be surprised or particularly moved by. She used to do it all the time (and half the time, they were crocodile tears - fake). But Sai came to her side, looking worried, and although the doctor didn’t know him well enough, it looked real. 

Then, even if it was just a little change, a quick gesture that normally meant nothing - her hand rubbed at her abdomen, just below the waistline - it was the quick jerk of her hand to stop its habitual motion that got Law’s attention. 

It was just a guess, but… “You’re pregnant.”

Baby’s tear fell, but she frantically turned around to see if anyone was in the hallway or close enough to have heard him. She sniffled. “Shut up, you stupid asshole. Nobody knows!” Sai started shushing her gently to get her to relax. “Don’t hush me!” She screamed at him. Then, “Sorry, honey, I love you!”

Things were making more sense, at least for her predicament. With a child on the way, Baby really would be serious about leaving the gang. It was dangerous to be affiliated with organized crime but definitely wasn’t any safer being among the more violent members either. 

Who knew what Doflamingo would do…

“I-I want you to promise we’ll be safe.” She glared, her hand waved from Sai, to her, and to her stomach. “All of us.”

When his eyebrow rose in question, she answered him by laying the key to the handcuffs on the desk. Her blue eyes stared into his, and he nodded. Satisfied, she pushed Sai back to the door - the man had said nothing the whole time, just stood around looking kinda stupid in Law’s opinion. It was no wonder Baby got him wrapped around her finger, Law was curious, but not so much as to ask…

He waited until they were gone before retrieving the key sitting on the desk to remove the cuffs. There was bound to be an exit nearby that could lead him out and depending on where they were, it wouldn’t take long to run to safety, but if this was a marine’s facility then it’s possible it could be guarded. There’s also the fact that he still didn’t know what was going on here and needed to find out - besides if he could find where they stashed his backpack then he could get to his phone. 

Better yet, maybe he would find a landline phone in another office while he searched.

Quietly, the doctor opened the door to peek down the hall, seeing it was clear, he moved down the line of offices to the glass windows viewing into the lab. Caesar and his two assistants were nowhere to be seen, so he sneaked into the area for information. 

Slides and microscopes lined one wall, computers and workspace adjacent; in between were notebooks with written observations. He tried to catch their meaning, but only understood the basics: white cell counts, kidney and liver analysis, etc.

Then he came upon surveillance monitors, 4 displays divided into six, each one showing a different room. In all of them were individuals in sterile environments, most of them looked like children! Some of them were healthy enough to pace in their confinement, but others looked too sick to leave their bare mattresses. 

They all had white spots. 

His eyes darted to the notebooks on the desk, frantically looking through them for charting information. He found  _ date of administration, _ and  _ date of first symptoms, _ and  _ date of death _ \- like they were lab rats instead of humans!

There were trials named, chemical nomenclature for drug compounds used in each to experiment with the effects of the amber lead. Essentially, they were poisoning people, intentionally, and then conducting abhorrent tests to… what, cure them? 

Some of these numbers were drastic. By these accounts, the lead more than halved the time needed to break down cells and damage organs. One sample (they didn’t even have names, just numbers) had been given a dose of the lead two days ago and was already showing deterioration. It looked like the kidneys couldn’t keep up, he found the corresponding room on-screen and saw a still form on a mattress. 

Not all of them were children, a range of ages was there, but an overwhelming majority had color-coded, specialized numbers like they were in a different control group -

“We only had a part of your research to go on.” 

Law spun around on his heel, breath catching at the sight of Doflamingo framed by the doorway. 

“The work you had done to cure yourself was lost... my brother destroyed it all. The paper you made available to the public was helpful, but not quite what we wanted.” The man leaned a shoulder against the frame of the door, even slouched as he was, his head brushed the header. From his belt, he drew his pistol; it was an old relic and heirloom from their family, one of a pair that Cora had the twin of. Doffy caressed it, turning it in his hands slowly... A revolver that held six bullets, and six times Law heard it’s bite hit its mark in Cora’s chest all those years ago. “At first, we thought about taking you back, if only to get that information, but we eventually made breakthroughs on our own.”

“What do you want?”

“For the last several years, we’ve been trying to find ways of dispersing white amber lead into any given medium. We’ve all but mastered the ways of ingesting it, and we’re able to turn it into an airborne contagion. We want it to be more potent: show up faster,  _ kill  _ faster. It took the people of Flevance years before enough buildup in their systems caused them to die. We’ve lessened that time to two days.”

“Why?” Law asked. His eyes were wide, body froze. He didn’t understand. 

Doflamingo shrugged. “The marines want a more effective weapon to deploy over a wide range of targets. We have that capability already, but we’ve found that controlling it is difficult; we can’t just have  _ everyone _ die of it, we need to develop a way for others to survive. Then we realized that Flevance natives were able to handle higher doses before their deaths and that strength grows with every generation. They’ve gained an immunity.”

“More like resistance,” Caesar corrected from behind the blonde. Doffy moved slightly so Law could see him. “Those children are spawns of Flevance survivors; they’re a great base for cultivating data, but they still die like all the others. Your body has adapted to white amber lead, in a way. My sample has shown that your cells hold the key to helping others do the same.”

“We won’t know for sure until we test the theory, though.” Doflamingo grinned and Law felt cold with dread. “You survived once. Let’s see you do it again.”

Just after he said that a strong arm crossed over his shoulders, putting him in a chokehold so quickly that Law was only able to yelp in response. Vergo growled something into his ear but Law wasn’t listening. Like hell was he going to let this happen anymore. 

With a quick kick against the work counter, he put his whole weight into shoving himself backward, and due to his leverage and surprise, Vergo was sent back with him to hit the opposite table. Microscopes and test tubes fell, the man grunted at the impact just at the right height that the table’s edge must have hurt, and the man’s grip loosened enough that Law was able to pull away.

He didn’t just scramble to get away though, he wanted to use every second to his advantage. With a twist around, he delivered a punch directly into that infuriatingly blank expression, black shades breaking under the force and causing damage to both his fist and Vergo’s face. Law hit him again, unsatisfied with just that.

Vergo lurched for him, but Law was lighter and faster. He was reminded of Luffy in his fight against Lucci. Speed was what it came down to, and even though Lucci could hit harder, Luffy was the one to come out on top with his consecutive hits that didn’t let up. He kept going, as much as he could, pushed past his limits.

Vulnerabilities like Vergo’s unprotected side, the blind spot Law had created with the broken shades that had cut into the man’s eye. It gave Law the chance he needed and after a knee to the sternum and a shove, while he was bent over, Vergo’s head hit the cabinet hard. 

With a thump, the man fell to the floor, unconscious.

Some instincts got Law to duck and he heard the blast of a pistol and the breaking of equipment as the bullet missed him by less than a foot to hit a monitor. Caesar screamed about keeping him alive, but Law jumped up with a fallen microscope in hand to throw it in Doflamingo’s direction. It was heavier than one would expect, dense with metal and glass and technology. The cord was still attached but it didn’t need to go far, Law heard Doflamingo curse and knew that it hit him.

“Law!”

He was real and truly pissed now, the voice was a roar of rage that would make Law tremble if he wasn’t already. Out of all the time spent with the gang, Law knew to be wary of Doflamingo’s moods; the cruelty of his decisions hinged greatly on them.  _ “Shoot him” vs “feed him to the dogs” _ were choices Doffy would make based on how badly he had been angered. 

Doflamingo was strong. He chose how you died; quickly or slowly.

_ The feeling of Doflamingo’s hand wrapped around his, the knife handle digging into Law’s sweaty palm. The motions made to cut deeper, slice through skin and muscle and bone, until blood covered them both, warm and slick and wrong - but Doflamingo was grinning, laughing at his ear. _

_ It took years for Law to forget the sensation when he performed operations. For a long time, he wondered at his ability to be a doctor when he couldn’t stomach the sight of the scalpel and blood on his hand.  _

Law didn’t turn to look, he scrambled to the other side of the room as Doffy was distracted and got behind the counter just as another bullet went off. He stayed low, but dashed for the side door, narrowly dodging another shot.

The hallway was empty, an exit sign was a dozen or so feet down, Law ran for it.

He pulled the door open just as Doffy got to the next doorway, aiming his pistol down the hall - it’d be harder for him to miss with such little room. But Law was already out the door, sunlight bright in his face -

And marine to catch him by surprise with a gun in his face.

Law froze, panting. “Akainu?!”

From further back, Law saw Kizaru. “Hello.” The man gave a lazy wave, smirk on his face. “Good thing we decided to come by, hm? It seems like you are in distress!”

Dread filled him with a sense of doom and hopelessness as Doflamingo held the door open behind him. Two large hands settled amicably on his shoulders, pink feathers tickling the back of Law’s neck. “I told you,” Doflamingo stated. His voice was cool, forcefully calm, and whispered against the back of his head chillingly. “That the marines had sanctioned this place and its purpose. Did you really think you would get away? This is your fate, Law. You cannot run from it or fight it.”

Akainu puffed on his cigar, smoke curling up and dispersing but the scent washed over him, cloyingly sweet yet spicy at the back of Law’s throat. The man’s narrowed eyes roamed over him, judging, the pistol unwavering from the doctor’s forehead. “Told you we’d settle our mistakes.”

Before he could work up any answer to any of this, a sharp prick of pain was felt on his arm. His left hand grazed the source and he pulled out a small injector needle, empty of whatever contents resided inside, plunger down. 

He could only guess what it was. 

Doflamingo laughed; the sound warping into a disturbing, deep loop, like something right out of his nightmares. His vision tunneled until shapes blurred and all Law could see was pink and white. 

“Put him in with the children, I want to see watch his symptoms as they develop…”


	19. Sunset - Chapter 19

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He sounded like Ace did; an angry command driven by fear, and Luffy almost wanted to turn back. Away from the acrid smoke that filled his lungs; the potential risks of asphyxiation and burning alive. The days - months of torturous recovery as every inhale burned. All those days in the hospital, wishing that he could have traded places with Ace, been the one to take all the pain, suffering from regrets. 
> 
> There were still unopened doors. Torao was still here, somewhere. Trapped in this hell. He couldn't leave him.

Luffy veered off the sidewalk along the road, straight into the trees to make a straight shot to the reserve's parking lot. That was where Law's yellow car waited for them, but he didn't have the keys, those were tucked away in the backpack that Torao had carried.

He still had his phone though, and he tried to retrieve it from his shorts pocket without slowing down in his sprint. Trees whipped past him and dead leaves crunched under his shoes, tossed up behind him with the force of each step. His knuckles burned with the brush against denim, busted as they were, but he hardly felt it and only gave passing notice to the rusty red blood he smeared across the phone's screen when he brought it up to make a call.

They were trembling, and it wasn’t because of the fight with the assailants.

He'd taken them out as quickly as he could. They had started after him with confidence like they were sure to rough him up easily, and despite knowing he could win, even with a two-on-one, he didn’t like the odds. In every experience he had, he knew not to overlook the risk of a tag team - taking out one as soon as possible while they were underestimating him would even it up.

Their defenses were wide open and he chose to start with the one on the right, going after his legs. Luffy aimed for the knee, striking with a side-kick that hit its mark before spinning around to land another kick to the man's face with his other heel. He probably broke bones in both knee and cheek.

It took only seconds, but two direct hits like that would fell even the best fighters.

The other guy was barely able to react before Luffy was on him. Even without the element of surprise, it was clear how fast and experienced Luffy was in comparison. Whatever kind of muscles the guards had clearly weren't built from professional fighting. The man would probably pack a serious punch or kick, but he wasn't fast, flexible, nor competent enough for those moves to even matter. Not against Luffy's mix of martial arts.

That didn't mean Luffy was able to end it as quickly as before. It didn't take just one punch, not even two, he found. If nothing else, the guard had a hard head. So, Luffy targeted softer, more vulnerable targets and tried to get the assailant on the ground to take away any advantage he had.

It wasted valuable time whittling the man down, and Luffy was still so angry. A hot fire had ignited within him and it fueled him in a way determination in the ring never did. It didn't matter how many punches it took - and Luffy hadn't counted.

Although he was aware of everything he did, it took more time than it should have to realize that the guy was no longer fighting back or defending himself against Luffy's attack. When he finally stopped his punches, it was far past a point any referee would have called an end to the match.

With not a single hit on him, Luffy stood from the man's chest where he’d been sitting to strike repeatedly, and left the two men unconscious in his haste to find Law.

But he had no idea what to do about that.

For some reason, he felt more out of breath than he should. Fighting the two guys earlier got his blood pumping and running back to the reserve was keeping his heart rate elevated, but he was having trouble. His panting came with a wheeze, reminding him of the long recovery process it took to get back into cardio after damaged lungs. He shouldn’t be bothered by this much exercise, and yet he was gasping like he’d ran miles.

He couldn’t afford to have a panic attack right now, but his body didn’t listen.

His shoes slid as he stopped at a tree, left hand braced against it. Names in his contact list blurred, and he wavered between a few, confused about who to call first, what he would say, what they could do. He started with Sabo.

“Hey, Luffy-”

“Torao’s been kidnapped! I need your help!”

“What? What do you mean?”

“I mean he’s been kidnapped, Sabo.” Luffy’s back hit the tree, bark digging into the skin sharply through his shirt. “There was a guy with a gun and they took Torao away. How do you find someone who was kidnapped?”

Sabo was part of a branch that dealt with national security and emergencies. Luffy always liked to joke that the blond was a spy or some cool secret agent and those kinds of people had the power to do crazy things. Like, use satellites to find secret bases or tap into street cameras to follow a vehicle. Surely, Sabo could do that, right?

Maybe it was a fantasy to believe that he could somehow track Law down with nothing to go on. Luffy didn't even get the license plate number, didn't even think about it until now.

“I’m sorry, Luffy...” Sabo didn’t have an answer for that. He asked about what Vergo looked like, the type of car he drove; Luffy gave him all that he could remember, plus what he knew from Cora and Law. That he was a treacherous marine and that he worked for a crime syndicate led by Doflamingo.

“I’ve heard of him,” Sabo replied gravely. “He’s a very sadistic gang leader with a lot of influence. He used to work in Dressrosa, where I had followed a couple of cases there. He’s not the biggest fish in the sea, but he’s a key to a much bigger operation.”

“Do you know where he is? Maybe if you find him, you’ll find Torao.”

“Unfortunately, I heard nothing about him leaving Dressrosa. I’ll need to ask around. Koala knows some contacts there, give me half an hour and I’ll call you back, okay? Get somewhere safe.”

“I’ll get Zoro to pick me up,” The man assured. “Just… hurry, Sabo.”

He didn’t fully hear his brother’s response, his mind sinking into quiet despair. Half an hour - thirty minutes, just sitting and waiting for other people to answer questions? He didn’t think he had the patience. Sabo’s plan wasn’t much to go on; no matter if Doflamingo was in Dressrosa or not.

Maybe Cora knew more. Law told him to go to his father figure first, so he could have knowledge of something that could help or maybe the man was in danger like Torao was. Thinking about another of his friends and Law’s father getting taken or hurt gave him the push he needed to call. He pressed the contact number before he could truly prepare himself though, and as soon as it started to ring, his stomach dropped.

What was he going to say?

_It's my fault. I was there, I had him, I let him go._

_I let him go!_

All of his fears crawled to the surface, fighting to drown him first.

“Hello? Luffy, is that you?” Cora’s voice greeted. His tone was cheery, as it always was.

Torao was taken from him. He held Law's hand, kissed his palm, saw him smile, felt the warmth of his body as they embraced. And at the worst moment, where Luffy should have never let go, he did.

Luffy still found himself struggling to breathe but was able to reply, “I'm sorry,” Luffy choked. He felt like that was the most important thing to convey; that it was the first thing he should do - apologize for letting it happen. After all, Law was Cora's son and Luffy should have taken care of him! “I don't know where Torao is.”

“What do you mean? Weren't you hiking together?” There was a rustling noise across their connection. “Did he wander off?”

“N-no.”

The instincts he had to fight or flight meshed until he felt paralyzed instead. His body leaned against the tree and he wanted to hear Law's voice soothing him and yet the thought just sent him deeper down.

He recalled how Torao stepped back, looked at him with gold eyes, fingers on his cheeks forcing him to return his gaze. There was fear in them, but Law didn’t let it show. While Luffy had shaken in rage and panic, Torao had been steady. Dry warm lips had touched his and Luffy hadn’t even noticed because all he could think about was his own hands falling limply to his sides.

Luffy knew it made sense, there were three assailants (plus wherever had been driving) and a gun, they weren't prepared, it would have been stupid and dangerous. He _knew_...

He also knew that Law had stepped in between him and the gun, used his body to shield Luffy regardless of the fact that Vergo needed him alive or not. If Luffy hadn't been there - if Law hadn't gone with them to keep Luffy safe...

“Vergo took him, Cora,” He whispered. His body slid down the trunk of the tree bonelessly, bark scraping down his back. He sat on the cold dirty ground in the middle of nowhere and tried not to cry. “I couldn’t - there wasn’t any time, and Law left with him because-”

“Take a deep breath for me, Luffy.”

What? Didn’t he hear what Luffy said? Law was kidnapped!

“I can hear you hyperventilating over the phone. Count your breaths and try to make them last.”

Damn it, he was losing the battle to keep from crying too. This was such bullshit! He needed to get himself together! He was mad enough to want to destroy something, and that anger turned on him.

He didn't have time for this; he couldn't feel sorry for himself right now. He couldn't stand here and be a crybaby when Law needed him to get a grip. “I’ll fix this,” He promised. To himself and to Cora.

“We’re all in this together, Luffy. I don’t blame you. Doflamingo’s return was always a possibility.” Cora soothed. His voice was warm and calming but tinted with a seriousness that spoke of his determination and building anger.

“Do you know where Mingo is? Maybe if Vergo was working for him then finding him could lead to Law.”

“It will be easier for me to try and track Vergo. He’s a traitor-marine, and easily recognizable.”

“My brother, Sabo, is going to try and find him too.”

“Good. The more people we have, the better. I'm going to Sengoku's first.” The man paused, noises on the other end ceasing as he called Luffy’s name. “Don't worry, Law is smart and he will be okay. We'll find him."

"Okay..."

And that… was that.

Luffy absently sent a message to Zoro asking to be picked up, then continued to sit there at the base of the tree silently.

He knew where he was and the direction he needed to go in, but as he truly looked around he saw nothing but trees. All around him, tall pale bark and dead leaves and no animals. What birds there were above couldn't be seen and their songs were coming through like they were underwater.

He was alone, and while he never particularly enjoyed being alone before, he would spend days exploring by himself without any issue until now. These woods never scared him. But now, the isolation was almost overwhelming. Because this time he felt left behind, abandoned, missing a piece of him.

With a shiver, Luffy forced himself to stand. He scrubbed away the tears on his face and took a breath. He made a promise to find Torao, and he wasn’t going to just leave it to Sabo and Cora. There weren’t many things he could say he was good at, but if there was anything physically taxing or dangerous, he’d be ready for it. And Zoro would be his first choice in a partner to tackle it. Despite the abundance of friends Luffy could trust to help if asked, Zoro was also the only one who didn’t need an explanation.

> Luffy: I need your help.
> 
> Can you come pick me up at the reserve?
> 
> Zoro: Yeah. Be there in 5.

The kendo master was a great friend, usually keeping Luffy grounded, but both of them tended to take action first and question it later. At the moment, Luffy would much rather stop thinking; every worry he had about whether Torao was hurt or scared, only caused his anxiety to grow.

Training to be a boxer led him to great physical abilities, but every teacher in every style he learned taught the importance of a clear mind. While he’d never been good at meditation like Zoro was, he could imagine himself shoving all of his concerns into a closet to deal with later. It helped him to get to his feet and resume his run to the reserve parking lot to wait for Zoro.

At last, be broke through the tree line and came to concrete, heading to stand next to the yellow sedan out of habit, leaning against the side of the abandoned and locked vehicle to feel the warmed metal.

This time, when he brought his phone up to check, he had a thought.

For so many years, Luffy had gone wandering the wilderness without a phone or point of contact; the type of caution that would lead to other's over-packing in case of the worst didn't affect him. He'd carried a knife, a canteen, a little poncho, rarely anything else - he was confident in his skills to know where North was, how to build shelter, how to scare away the predators and hunt for prey, anything unnecessary would just slow him down.

It was only after the bear trap accident that he was led to believe that he should be more prepared. It was the first time he had been concerned about bleeding out in the middle of nowhere with nothing to help him. So he'd decided if only for the tourists’ sake, in case they got injured, that he would take an emergency pack with him.

A simple pre-packed kit that Luffy had just thrown in the backpack so Torao would feel safer too.

He could barely recall what was in it but he knew he'd tucked in a little tracker; one of those 'find your keys' tags that ran on watch batteries and was accessed by a phone app. It was far from an emergency beacon, but Luffy had just wanted to track his path or be able to pin an accurate location to things. Like where he found bear traps and such.

With greater reception here than in the forest, he was able to navigate to the app and search. It wasn’t a GPS signal and he knew that Law would be too far out of range for it to pick up anything, but now he knew that if he could get close enough, the app would lead him the rest of the way.

It was something.

Zoro pulled up at that point, and Luffy explained in the best way he could while they drove to Cora’s place. Sabo texted to tell him there had been no affirmation of Doflamingo’s whereabouts from his coworkers back in Dressrosa, but that he would keep trying. Cora wasn’t home when Luffy and Zoro arrived, but Luffy knew he was probably still talking to Sengoku.

Impatiently bouncing his foot up and down, Luffy waited. He watched the hours tick away, feeling like time was running out like sand in an hourglass. Kuzan arrived home before Cora did, and even though they were politely brought inside, it was clear that Kuzan wasn’t all too sure about having them in his house.

Especially after they explained.

Luffy knew Law didn’t get along with this guy, he was aware of the secrets that were forced between them, but he didn’t think either of them were the type to take action for it. Kuzan didn’t seem like a bad person, though Luffy could do without the vague sage-like advice he tried to give. The man seemed appropriately concerned to learn that Law was missing, with a worried frown at the mention of Vergo and Doflamingo.

“I never met Vergo personally,” He said. He seemed distant, looking off to the living room from where they sat at the table. “You said Roci’s asking around?”

“Yeah, he talked to Sengoku. He’s looking for others who may have seen him around.”

“Anybody that he could ask would be asleep by now.”

“What?” It was late into the night, hours since Law was taken and Luffy didn’t give a single fuck about anybody’s sleep schedule. “Then we’ll wake them up! Torao is _kidnapped_ and we’re going to get him back!”

Kuzan hummed distractedly. Luffy didn’t care about making any more conversation since the guy didn’t seem all that intent on helping. Not until Luffy’s phone rang with Cora’s name on the ID.

“I got a lead! There’s a loading dock by the piers that have seen a lot of activity lately, an unusual amount of shipments from Dressrosa, people working in the warehouse on something. I’m going to check it out.”

“We’ll meet you there!” Finally, something good. A lead. A plan.

“Let me see the phone,” Kuzan requested, but he ended up taking the device from Luffy’s hand before he had the chance to hang up. “Roci, don’t go in until we get there.”

They had a short conversation and Zoro impatiently shoved him along out the door, only pausing when Kuzan unlocked a cabinet near the entryway to pick up a gun. The two younger men looked at each other, telepathically discussing what it meant to have Kuzan with them.

As close as he was to Cora, he was a marine too, and one that was far more stringent on the laws; Luffy was bound to break a few sooner or later. Now, he was armed, he was commanding their actions, and neither of the other two felt comfortable taking orders from him. However, again, Luffy felt like Kuzan was a good person, and he wanted to trust his instincts - if something dangerous did go down, having someone like him on their side would only be a boon.

Zoro still stubbornly refused to use Kuzan’s vehicle and all but glared at the man when it was implied that he drive. The ride together was an awkward one, but Luffy filled it with talking to Sabo to hear about any success from his end.

“Doflamingo is definitely here. They tracked a ship from Dressrosa to Goa a couple of months ago and completely lost track of him afterward.”

“So he’s been here for _months?”_ Luffy growled.

“And something else,” Sabo continued. “I-I’m looking at the path and known sightings a few of our agents have pinned down, and I’m seeing a disturbing pattern. The same places he’d gone… they’re the same places we’ve been seeing outbreaks of white amber disease. I wouldn’t have thought to correlate them, but I’ve been staring at these cases for months, it’s too much of a coincidence that they line up perfectly; location and dates.”

Sounding a little further away, Koala mentioned more kidnappings. And Sabo murmured his agreement. “There have been children missing from these places too. Many of them are second-generation Flevance survivors. There’s got to be a link here. Luffy, send me the address you’re going to. I need to check this place out too.”

Getting together felt strange, Kuzan and Cora, Luffy and Zoro, Sabo and Koala - they were all so different; here for slightly diverging purposes, looking for dissimilar clues, expecting to see something different.

Sadly, they were all disappointed.

The docks were completely void of anything. There were no people, no big warehouses with suspicious paraphernalia, nothing like Cora’s lead said. They split up to cover more ground and took precious time combing through things until they all came back together with no success.

Cora asked if they wanted to dig deeper; look at the shipment containers and such, but everyone believed it would be a waste. The tag finder app on Luffy’s phone still showed no signal like before and it was clear: Doflamingo, Vergo, and Law were not here.

“I don’t get it. Even this late - even with nobody around, there would be signs right?” Corazon’s eyes filled with tears and he choked out a curse before digging around in his coat and bringing a cigarette to his lips. His hands shook as he lit it, obviously an attempt to soothe his stress. Luffy understood the feeling.

“Who gave you the tip to come here?” Kuzan asked.

“Kizaru. Sengoku told me that he and Akainu were the ones that overlooked the shipments in and out of port. He showed me reports on deliveries to and from Dressrosa, I really thought…”

For a moment, all was quiet. None of them knew where to go from here, it had been their only clue, as vague as it was. And now it’s led them to a dead end. But before despair could truly settle in, as Cora’s tears of frustration broke to the surface and Luffy’s fist hit one of the wooden poles of the dock just to release some pent-up rage and feelings of uselessness, Kuzan spoke up.

“There’s a navy base on the other side of town, mostly a research laboratory center. I don’t know the details of what they do there, but I know they’ve been studying white amber disease. A lot of the supplies from Dressrosa are going there. If Vergo and Doflamingo are part of it, that’s probably where they’ll be.”

Cora sniffled, looking at him with red-rimmed eyes and a frown. “A _navy_ base?” He repeated.

“Yes.” With the man facing the bay, nobody could see his expression very well, but they did notice the big sigh he gave. “There’s a lot I should tell you, Roci. But for now… please continue to trust me; if Law was taken, I would look for him there.”

The others looked confused, doubtful, but fuck if they had any other option to go on. Luffy made the decision when he started walking back to the car. “Let’s go.”

  
  


* * *

  
  


The fighter could vaguely recognize the road they took out of the city. It was out of the way, tucked behind mountainous terrain, and typically known just as another marine base Luffy would want to stay away from. His grandpa would rarely come by for a visit, usually for work purposes, so Luffy knew it was out there but he could see that there have been a few additions since he'd last seen it.

There was a huge glass building next to the militaristic warehouse. It looked fancy and new; far more technical than was fitting for a satellite base such as this one. It got an upgrade in security too. A ten-foot-tall chain-link fence, a guard tower, a heavy gated entrance, and many guards on rotation carrying heavy weaponry along the border.

It looked even creepier as it loomed in the dark, surrounded by giant flood-lights like it was a prison camp. Perhaps it was; with measures like these, they had to be hiding something in there. Was it to keep people from getting in or getting out?

"Ok, act natural," Sabo said needlessly.

Zoro leaned in, both arms braced on either side of Sabo and Luffy. They had only taken two vehicles; Cora’s, in which Kuzan was driving and leading the way, and Sabo’s, where Koala and Zoro claimed the back with Luffy in the passenger.

Kuzan spent a few minutes talking to the guy, and while they all wished to have been able to hear what was said, they all had gotten a story together for this purpose. A very late night expedition to the laboratory for inspection by the national security department. Sabo was the inspector, Koala his partner. Kuzan and Cora, their guide and escort. And Luffy and Zoro were experts in the field there for quality control.

That last bit would be harder to prove; because while the others had badges and licenses proving their authority, Luffy and Zoro had none. Justifying their presence would be harder.

The driver's window came down to speak with the guard once he was done with Kuzan. He was a tall and heavyset man in uniform, with a standard rifle on the shoulder, and his eyes narrowed at them in suspicion. Which was fair, Luffy knew how they looked. Two unknown and unexpected vehicles, full of people he didn't recognize, strolling in at… two am.

Cautiously, the guard stepped up to the car and leaned down to look inside. He glared at them indiscriminately. The leather jacket and belt he wore made an intimidating sound and in the quiet of all the other soldiers watching them, Luffy felt the pressure. If this guy refused them entry...

_Fuck him though_.

Luffy was getting through. If Torao was in there, he was going to find him. Sabo's badge has to work... this plan _had_ to work.

Said badges were presented confidently by the blond agent. Coldly, it was looked over, and the man's glare turned more into a confused frown. "And what about the other two?"

Zoro's snort was stifled by Koala’s elbow in his side. The inhaled gasp was loud in the silence and none of the passengers in the car could hold a straight face. The man’s voice…

“T-they’re professionals; Zoro is a laboratory supervisor and manager of operations and… Luffy is an expert in internal medicine, particularly the branch that deals with… poisons.”

“ _That_ guy?” The guard, his name read Pika, scoffed as he gestured at Luffy with his flashlight.

Zoro made another noise and the guard jerked to land a beam of light right on Zoro’s face. It probably blinded the kendo master, so he couldn’t see the expression the soldier had on. But the others could, and they all knew what thin ice they stood on.

They needed a distraction from Zoro before the man blew up about being made fun of and denied them entry. Luffy blurted out the first thing on his mind: “Endocarditis!”

Pika’s flashlight swept back to him, slowly. The others looked at him too, like he just spoke another language.

“Endocarditis,” Luffy said confidently. “Bacterial infections can reach the heart in many ways. Like, a weakened body, from poison, let’s say, and damage the heart valves which can make it easier for bacteria to get there and then the heart turns white and yellow and there’s ooze, but it’s in your heart, right? So -”

“That’s enough, doctor.” Pika shut him up. “Here’s your guest passes. Keep them visible at all times and stick with your escort.” He shoved four plastic laminated cards at them. “It’s too early for this bullshit.”

With that, the guard stood back, straightening up to signal the gates to open. Everyone let out a collective sigh, Sabo rolling the window up and sending a look to Luffy. “Where the fuck did that come from?”

“Torao,” He replied, shrugging.

“What, that actually stuck with you? You can hardly remember what I tell you five minutes ago.”

“Whatever,” Luffy muttered mulishly. He couldn’t help it; Torao’s voice, the way he spoke, the passion he had, it all made the fighter want to listen and retain the information. Because if it was something Law cared about, then Luffy wanted to know too. Sure, he didn’t understand half the medical jargon nor was he the most interested in the topic itself, but he picked up on some things. Torao really liked to talk about hearts, and he could still so vividly see him in the library, eyes bright and a small smile on his lips; excited to tell someone what he found.

It made Luffy’s heart ache to remember now, and he pulled his phone out of his pocket to restart the app and see if this was the right place or not. The little map in the background was greyed out as it loaded, finding his location and sending out a local signal to find the registered tag.

Whereas before he would get that black error box with the words _no signal found_ , this time, the map lit up into colors and two dots appeared; green for him, blue for the tag it was recognizing.

“Sabo, Sabo!” He yelled. He gathered a fistful of his brother’s shirt. “He’s here!”

Before the car even stopped and parked, Luffy was out of the car, running to Cora to show him the screen. “He’s here!”

“The backpack is, at least,” Zoro told them. “We still need to be smart and quiet about this. We can’t just go busting in to demand him back; not with the security here looking all too trigger-happy.”

Sabo nodded. “Yes, and this is becoming a much larger operation than we realized. Do you understand what it means to have Doflamingo being _associated_ with the marines?”

Kuzan gestured for them to move, his quiet, “I know exactly what it means” being heard only by Cora, who frowned.

The guards at the gate weren’t the only ones. They passed a few more on their way into the facility. Each one diligently checked their badges before moving on. None of them knew where they were going, not even Kuzan, but Luffy directed them closer and closer to the blue dot on his map and it conveniently followed signs to the lab.

Blood pumping, Luffy stopped them as they walked by the dot, coming back to open up a door to a staff lounge. “What the hell,” Luffy hissed, prowling around the room to see if Torao was hiding in a corner or something. “It’s saying it’s right here.”

It was a regular break room, with a fridge, cabinets, microwave, personal lockers for staff in one corner and a table and chairs in another. Zoro studied that table intently, something red smearing across it looked a lot like blood.

Koala went straight to the staff lockers along the wall and started opening them one by one. When she found a red backpack that looked worn and used, she pulled it out. Torao’s keys jingled with a white polar bear keychain Bepo gave him and Luffy took them up to shove them in his pocket. He found Law’s phone, the tag, and everything else right where it was supposed to be too. Nothing was stolen.

Except for Torao.

But at least now, they all knew that he was here. Now, it was only a matter of exploring the rest of the place to find him. One benefit of being here so early in the morning meant that no workers were around. The offices and lab were empty - or they should have been. When they found one area still being used, despite the hour, Sabo stopped them to observe.

“We need to get in there and look at those files. The inspector trick won’t work here though.”

While they whispered about what to do next; if they should reveal themselves and carry on the story, or sneak around some more, Cora stopped to touch a hole in the wall that looked an awful lot like a bullet made it.

“Doffy,” Cora confirmed grimly, the others watching him. “I know those bullets anywhere. There are not many guns that still use them.” He pulled out an antique-looking pistol from his back, hidden by the coat until he drew it to show them. It was one of a kind - or rather… two of a kind.

He put it back in its holster. “I’ll distract him and draw him away. You find Law.”

“But...” Luffy knew how dangerous that was, he didn’t want Cora to get hurt and Torao certainly wouldn’t want him to do something so dangerous.

“Law is more important,” The man stated, his voice brook no arguments. “It’s time I dealt with my brother. I know what I’m doing this time. I won’t hesitate.”

Kuzan sighed deeply, looking to the ceiling. “I’m going with him, so when you find Law, tell him not to panic.”

It took a few moments of Cora looking like he wanted to argue, scowling and opening his mouth to say something before closing it in defeat. Eventually, he nodded and gave him a private kind of smile. “See? All good.” A large hand came up to ruffle Luffy’s hair as he walked by, and the fighter watched Torao’s dad waltz into the lab like he was on a mission. The others stayed out of sight, just around the corner of the glass windows, but could still see and hear enough.

“Excuse me.”

A man in a white coat jumped in surprise. He turned around with a wild look in his eyes. “Yes? What are you doing here? I’m busy! Can’t you see that we’re on the edge of a breakthrough?”

“Ah. I’m here on behalf of Doffy. He wanted to ask you a few questions.”

Suddenly, Luffy remembered Torao telling him about how they met. Cora had been a man of many faces. A marine, a brother, a second in command to one of the country’s largest organized crime, a jokester, a new father…

One time, Law had quietly confided that Cora could be just as manipulative as Doflamingo, though he stressed that where Doflamingo was cruel, Cora never used such sneaky lies and persuasion to hurt others. It just seemed so easy for his adoptive father to slip on these different masks, and one second be a scared mute, one second a stern and angry commander, and another second a happy social person making friends with everyone. Like a chameleon, changing to fit the mold he needed.

“What? He’s summoning me at this hour? Tell him it’s not ready yet!”

“He wants to see you now, and making him wait wouldn’t be a good idea.”

“Fine, fine! No respect for my work!”

“I’ll follow you.”

Luffy got to see that power at work as he charmed the scientist, wrapping him around his finger and leading him away from the work area. His conversation did several things; proved that Doflamingo was here and got the scientist to take Cora right to him, Kuzan following with that lazy but intimidating presence that said he was too important to be questioned, and it worked.

When they were out of sight, the others moved in. Immediately, Sabo started to click away at a computer, bringing up files and programs to read what the scientist was working on and the type of data they were collecting. The blonde grew anxious at what he found. “It is white amber disease.”

“Are those kids?” Koala demanded. She leaned over his chair to point to what looked like observation cameras inside patient rooms. “They are! They’re the missing kids.”

“We need to get them out of here. This is so wrong. The marines are _letting_ this happen.”

There were so many rooms in the observation that Sabo was refreshing the screen to show another set of six, then another, then back to the first six. Luffy jumped at one of them, vaguely recognizing that one of the lumps in a bed was too big to be a child but other than the fact that they had black hair, he couldn’t tell if it was Torao or not. “Where is that?”

“It says _room 4E_ … Which may stand for the fourth floor?”

“Let’s go find it.”

Sabo stayed behind. “I need to get this evidence to the others; I’ve kept them aware of where we are, and with what we’ve found it won’t take long for them to make a move. When I report it, the whole team will be here to shut it down.”

Koala added, “You should have enough time to get Law out before then but be quick, this is liable to get messy. Some other rooms look to be on the third floor. So we’ll take care to clear the kids out after we’re done here.”

“Got it, thanks, guys.”

With a strong grip on his arm in place of a hug, Sabo told him to stay safe, and then shooed them away. The fighter, now left with Zoro, left the lab. They moved faster now, less concerned about keeping up appearances. And Luffy wasn’t going to stop for anything now that he knew where to go.

They found a stairwell nearby, thinking it better than going for the elevators, but the echoing sound of the heavy door on hinges was cringingly loud. It got the attention of a guard walking the halls. “Hey!”

Luffy and Zoro slammed the door shut behind them and took the steps two at a time. Before they got up the first flight, the door behind them banged open to allow for _two_ guards, and both of them were brandishing their weapons threateningly to get them to stop. When they didn’t, the rifles raised up to take aim. Luffy and Zoro kept as close to the wall as possible, staying just out of range as they chased each other in circles.

Suddenly, Luffy felt like the ground rolled beneath him, and he tripped on the next step, almost taking out his knee as he caught himself with his hands. Trying to get to his feet was useless, as he was sent back down with another shake. Behind him, Zoro was doing the same, and that’s when Luffy finally realized that it was the building. It shook and swayed, groaned and echoed strange noises that nobody would take to hear a sound structure make. Distantly, he started to hear gunshots.

Multiple rounds from many different guns. Rifles that were louder, slower, packed more power, and the lighter, shorter, _pops_ of pistols.

"What? It’s too early for Sabo’s team, isn’t it?"

Another great upheaval sent Luffy into the railing, Zoro gripping the doorway to remain steady. "Is the whole building coming down?!"

Dust and gyp shook free of the walls and rained down from the stairs above, it felt like bombs were going off and the sound of gunshots grew louder and more frequent. But what they were shooting at, Luffy didn't know.

One flight below them, the guards were recovering enough to stand, and Luffy expected to get a much louder, more personal introduction to the gunfire than he’d like soon.

Doors along the stairwell opened above and below; soldiers and workers, fleeing. In the panic, none of them seemed to care about Luffy and Zoro's presence, shoving passed them in a hurry, like a stampede. They swamped the stairs helped the guards below lose sight of them. It was unlike anything he'd ever heard and seen. He didn't know what would be best; remain in the stairway where the building was least likely to collapse or catch fire or escape outside and chance getting shot?

He'd make that choice after finding Torao.

His determination sparked within him and he surged up to climb the staircase to the next floor, struggling against the current of people. Thankfully, the late hour meant that there wasn’t too many people that he feared he’d be trampled on. A couple of dozen that thinned out too quick; the guards would be back on their tails soon enough.

“Keep going,” Luffy felt a push at his back. Zoro turning around to face them.

The fighter stumbled into a run again, looking back in time to see Zoro make the best of the hectic situation to get the jump on them. With such little room to maneuver and too many innocent people in the line of fire, Zoro was able to get in close. The man may have been amazing at the sword, but his close-quarter combat skills were no laughing matter either. In fact, once Zoro was able to snatch a rifle from one of them, he proved he knew how to use it as more than it’s intended function.

Unlike the quiet from before, as the facility slept and they tiptoed around in whispers, everything was suddenly so loud and chaotic. Everyone was yelling at each other to grab this or that, to get out, that there was a fire, rushing around like chickens.

But when Luffy shoved through the door to the fourth floor with a bang, revealing an open hallway with a multitude of doors, it was to a different sound. Eerie crying and faint pleading came from several locked rooms, the area completely abandoned of staff and prisoners left behind to die. Black smoke curled at the ceiling, lights began to flicker, casting him in total darkness before blinding him with light.

Prisoners - _children_ \- banged on their doors, crying to be set free.

Luffy lunged for the first door, twisting the knob uselessly before slamming his shoulder against it to break it open. It took two tries, but the doors were hollow wood; sturdy enough to be near impossible for someone inside to break, considering the swing of the door, but from his stance and with the right force applied to the weakest point, Luffy was able to take it down.

Stumbling into the room, he found two kids, about seven or ten years old, hiccuping in fear as they huddled together. They swarmed him in a hug and he took them back to the hall, urging them to the stairs.

He looked to the other doors, catching sight of the numbers on each. None of the ones he could see had 4E on them, but he couldn't just pass up the kids along the way to find the right one. The smoke was getting thicker and Luffy had the familiar taste of ash on his tongue. His throat started to tingle and he almost froze at the feeling, breathing labored. There were no masks this time, Ace wasn't there to pull him along and get him to safety.

He busted open another door with a kick but found nobody inside. He tried another with the same result. His breathing was loud and labored from his activity and the fact that he wasn’t low to the ground avoiding the smoke; it hadn’t gotten too bad yet, but the heat was climbing and the smoke was stinging his eyes and blocking out the lights.

Of course, at that moment, the lights blinked for the final time before going out and Luffy could see nothing. He leaned back against the wall in order to have an anchor, feeling like he was in a void.

“Torao!” He screamed.

He sounded like Ace did; an angry command driven by fear, and Luffy almost wanted to turn back. Away from the acrid smoke that filled his lungs; the potential risks of asphyxiation and burning alive. The days - _months_ of torturous recovery as every inhale burned.

But he felt guilty and angry at himself for even thinking it a second after. All those days in the hospital, wishing that he could have traded places with Ace, been the one to take all the pain, suffering from regrets.

There were still unopened doors. Torao was still here, somewhere. Trapped in this hell. He couldn't leave him.

With one hand on the wall to guide him, Luffy went in the opposite direction of salvation, feeling for another door. He started to cough, raggedly wheezing as he blindly kicked to open another room up. Another kid found by touch alone and pushed to the exit.

His throat was closing, eyes tearing up because they stung and because he was getting desperate. It took him four kicks to open the next door. Weaker and weaker each time and he ached. Nobody answered his call inside and while his vision adjusted slightly to the dark without the smoke to cover it, he could make out shadows of objects. A form curled up by the bed, too large to be a child's.

"T'rao?" His voice was raspy, hopeful. He stumbled to kneel in front of the person, hands feeling along the legs, catching on the arms that were braced over their head tightly. Luffy wrapped his hand around a wrist and pulled it away to touch the bowed head, relief flooding his body at the familiarity of the hands, hair, and beard; he knew Law by touch now.

"Luffy?"

"Yeah. Come on," He didn't want to let go, but he kept hold of the man's wrist as he stood, pulling him up.

"Are you real?"

"What?”

“Am I dreaming?” Torao’s voice sounded strange, and Luffy wished he could see his expression, but he had a feeling he knew what it would be like; a fearful, tired kind of defeat brought on by a night of terror. It was the look of a man who could trust in nothing; the belief of nothing that was good. Not after seeing the destruction of everything he loved.

Law thought that this was another nightmare.

“No,” Luffy said, voice firm. He stepped closer and wrapped an arm around Torao’s waist, he bent to take the man’s weight onto his shoulder and lifted Law up in a carry. “Come on, let’s get out of here.”

He carried the doctor out of the room, struggling to see or feel his way down the hall to find any more rooms that kids could be in but a wave of heat caused him to stumble back and he heard the building give a rumble. He coughed, unable to get any more oxygen from the air he breathed, and he knew that he couldn’t do anything more. He wasn’t a firefighter with any prepared equipment, he already had Law on his shoulder, and he has been testing his luck sticking around for so long.

His lungs continued to seize, breaths short and fast, coughing continuously, but once he got into the exit stairwell, he was able to breathe better. Along the walls were emergency lighting, and he could actually see that very little smoke made it here yet. Still, he didn’t take his sweet time in his descent. Law wasn’t the lightest person and his legs were long, but the fighter balanced him easily, even while going down the stairs. It wasn’t until they were at the bottom that he spoke up.

“I can walk.”

“It’s fine.” Luffy selfishly didn’t want to put him down anyway. Especially after walking out the door.

The entire area was swarming with people. Marines in different uniforms, police, scientists, and researchers. Half of them were in handcuffs and it looked like some form of order was being achieved.

A firetruck was on the front lawn and Luffy idly wondered if Pika tried to give them a hard time too.

Only ten feet away from the building, his name was called. He looked up to see Sabo, Koala, and Zoro. The former two looked harried with gathering up the children and separating them from everything else, but Luffy was noticed and Sabo pointed at him with a glare. “Wait til Ace hears about this shit. This is the second time you go and get yourself trapped in a fire.”

“I wasn’t trapped…” But Sabo was already moving on.

“How’s the doc?”

Zoro’s question reminded him of Law on his shoulder. Well, it’s not like he could forget, but the man was awfully subdued. He worried suddenly, that Law might consider this a nightmare still. He joined Zoro next to a parked truck, a little out of the way from the rush of people, and set Law on his feet.

The doctor stood on his own fine, although it looked like he was bleeding from his side, it was just the expression Luffy feared to see though. That look of disbelief, like none of this was real. Luffy rubbed the surgeon’s cold hands in his own, swept hair away to look at the bruising on his temple, lifted his shirt up brazenly to find the source of the bleeding.

Law allowed himself to be moved complacently, settling close to Luffy when he was pulled down to sit with him on the curb. Zoro threw a blanket over him ‘for shock’ and Luffy didn’t understand but he helped Torao bundle up. He didn’t like the way Law was acting, but he took the opportunity to pull him close, embracing him in a way that Torao’s face was tucked into his neck and he could pretend he was hidden from everything.

The only time he reacted was when Cora called his name frantically. Torao looked up in time for his father to give them all one big hug, the man crying in relief. “You’re okay, Law!”

But Torao didn’t say anything, in fact, he turned away again to bury his face in Luffy’s shoulder, and the fighter could feel him start to tremble. After that, he responded to nothing. Not even the sight of Doflamingo being arrested and pushed into a prisoner’s transport car.

Thinking there must be some kind of injury he couldn’t see, Luffy waved for Sabo to come back. It had been a while and the mess has calmed. Sabo looked a lot less frenzied now, but his expression wasn’t any lighter and he approached with a caution that Luffy didn’t understand.

“We need to take him with us now.”

“I can take him to the hospital.”

“That’s… not where we’re going.”

“What? Why? He’s hurt, Sabo!”

Kneeling next to them, Sabo pulled at the blanket to softly untuck it from Law’s lax body, much to Luffy’s protests. Zoro had said it was good, he needed it. But Sabo took one of the limp arms to stretch it out and bade them to look.

Not even Sabo must have known it was there, but after what he’d seen, he knew where to look. Inside the elbow and down to the middle of his forearm was a white blotch. It took different forms and patterns, but typically the white spots showed up on the extremities first. He’d known, as soon as he saw the data in the lab, what Law’s purpose here was.

Cora’s spine when rigid. “Where are you taking them?” He asked coldly, looking to the group of children in various stages being kept hidden from the mass of public service and authorities dealing with the situation. The people here might be convinced to keep their presence and illness a secret, but the affected children would surely not be going to a hospital; it would _incite a panic._

“I promise, they will be safe,” Sabo said.

Still, Luffy tightened his hold on Law, pulling his arm out of reach and covering him with the blanket once more. “You promised you wouldn’t quarantine him.”

“I - well, that can’t exactly be helped now, Lu! Now he actually has it and-”

“It is _not_ contagious-”

“I know that now, yes!” The blonde growled. “There’s a whole group of kids with white amber dis- poisoning… and all I have to go on is the crazy scientist’s disgusting experiments to find a cure! They can not go to the hospital, Luffy, the public will find out, there will be panic, and nobody at the hospital will treat-”

Once again, he was interrupted by Luffy. “Torao’s cured it before. You don’t need a scientist’s experiments, Torao can tell you if you just listen. And the heart crew will treat them!”

“Heart crew?”

“Torao’s team!”

With a frustrated scowl, Sabo looked back and forth from Luffy, Law, Cora, the children, and Koala who stood by with an expectant face. There weren’t many choices, and honestly, any other options fell drastically short compared to Luffy’s suggestion. So, the agent made a decision; he agreed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It took longer this time, I was a bit discouraged. I didn't like how this chapter was so fast-paced and I re-wrote things a lot. This is also one of the longest chapters yet.
> 
> Also, I completely missed the fact that I rolled over 100,000 words. Woo!
> 
> Thank you all for reading. Please let me know your thoughts, I love reading your comments as much as I love writing!


	20. Sunset - Chapter 20

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Luffy reached up to flick his finger against the man’s forehead. “You’re still the prettiest. You’re Torao.”

It was hard to identify what symptoms were brought about by the lead poisoning and what were side effects from the medication the children were on while under Caesar’s control. As their main objective had been to discover an immunity to the poisoning, the scientist hadn’t been very cautious about the long-term issues that could come up.

Law had survived white amber lead before and, later on, published his research on it, detailing the so-called _disease_ and its symptoms. The paper spoke about the lead in the bloodstream, how it filtered through the kidneys (eventually causing failure if the dose was too high), it was also absorbed by internal organs, which could contribute to neurological damage. Several patients in Flevance had died after the lead reached the brain, causing disorientation, memory loss, and seizures. Where the lead was concentrated came down to luck, and once it was stored in the tissue or bone, it could stay for years.

Even though Law had done all the research, proved it possible to cure, and came up with a plan of action for anyone suffering from the dangerous white metal, it was impossible to save everyone. Caesar had given the children large doses, and with how quickly it progressed, their attempts to combat it had to be equally as quick and effective.

A few drugs were able to collect foreign metal substances in the body, to “grab” onto the lead in a molecular way and help process it through the kidneys. That was the only means of “flushing” the poison out. Otherwise, they were cycling blood in batches, taking as much as they could out while giving transfusions to replenish their bodies with more, but this was slow.

Law had already done the hard work in his study, but in practice, with such little time and such young victims, it was a lot more difficult than it seemed. Torao’s house was like a satellite hospital, with equipment and beds and medical staff. All of Law’s team were called in. Some, like Bepo, Shachi, and Penguin, already knew Law’s research by heart. They were better equipped to notice reactions and counteract them with the correct course of action.

The others, like Ikkaku, Uni, Jean Bart, and Clione were quick to learn and excellent at providing their own special talents to the cause. Sabo employed a few staff as well and all the medical paraphernalia were from his branch, from the machines to the beds, to the blood and drugs. It might have been more ideal to bring the patients to a facility than to have the facility come to them, but there was no other option that didn’t leave a trail of evidence and all the available places they could go to were under marine control.

And the marines weren’t trusted at the moment.

Despite how big Law’s house was, it could hardly fit a dozen kids or more plus all the others. They made it work though, with generators outside to provide power and work trailers on the street for support. None of the neighbors were happy, for sure, but there were members of security to keep them back and they were far enough away that noise shouldn’t be too much of a problem.

He’d gone downstairs to get something to eat and check up on the others, but the sight and sound of kids crying, vomiting into buckets, and moaning in delirium was painful. He heard that they were lucky; all the kids were saved from the fire and none of them have yet succumbed to the poisoning.

Bepo was hopeful about the ones here. He said that they were responding to the treatments well, as long as they were on hand to help should a new symptom appear, they’d be able to keep them alive. At this point, they just had to last through the pain.

They were all brave about it too. Luffy was able to talk to a little girl about seeing her parents soon, and even though she was gaunt and pale, she laughed as she told him about her pet dog, who also had white spots.

Some kids were more aware than others, and for the ones who were still critical, Luffy could do nothing but try and encourage them to keep fighting. He would give them all a bright smile, a joke, a distraction; anything to keep the atmosphere from going dark and gloomy, but he never stayed long.

Because Torao was in the same state.

The white spots had spread fast, his fever skyrocketed, and the heart crew spent a good amount of time on keeping him alive. Torao was hooked up with an IV and several little sensors on his head and chest. Everyone had gotten diagnostic imaging done to locate the presence of the metal, to foresee any future complications on how their body would react to its presence and where.

Law had gotten a larger dose than all the others. They had to act quickly to get as much out of his system as possible, to a dangerous point even. Penguin had gravely told them that they couldn’t wait to let any of the poison settle; he’d already gathered enough of it in his bones from a decade back, any more would surely kill him.

It wasn’t quite clear to Luffy what was happening to the victims now versus what will happen to them over time. He’s heard the others talk about heart complications, learning development disorders, diabetes, and reproductive issues - apparently lead could stick around and make everyone more susceptible to any kind of future problems. Clearly, taking out the immediate risk of organ failure wouldn’t solve the long term problem.

And for Law… Bepo told him that this whole ordeal probably disturbed the lead that was already within him, so every time he got stressed or something his bones could release more toxic metals into the blood. How did that make any sense at all? Luffy didn’t know. Didn’t care. All he saw was Torao in pain and was helpless to do anything about it.

In the twenty-four hours, since he’d gotten him back, Luffy had seen Law throw up so many times he’d lost count, there was nothing left in his stomach but that didn’t seem to matter. The nurses cycled his blood more than the others so even his normal tinted color was a deathly pale. Pain medication kept him comfortable and able to sleep because the aches and pains of his body under duress was intolerable. They nearly gave him an ice bath to get his fever down, and even now his temperature was on the cusp of being too high.

Ever since that fever hit, Law hadn’t been able to function. He murmured inaudibly, tossed and turned, sometimes he’d be awake but unseeing and others he’d be deep asleep in a way Luffy had to watch him breathe to ensure he was still alive. It scared him to think Law was so close to death.

So he stayed and watched over him, even if there wasn’t much he could do but sleep. Truthfully, Luffy had gotten sore from laying down for hours past what he’d normally sleep for. However, as uncomfortable as he was, Luffy remained because Law needed him. He kept an eye on the man’s temperature, comforted him when he seemed to be trapped in nightmares, and held him close when the doctor looked like he’d give up.

_“Come on, Torao,” He whispered. “Keep fighting.”_

_He pressed kisses to the man’s forehead and cheek and jaw, hoping to see some hint of that small smile. But Torao would only shake in his arms, despite how his body ached in all the muscles and joints and his breathing labored, eyes closed with tears clinging to the lashes._

_“You can do it. You’re super strong like that, don’t let it win.”_

_Vaguely, he remembered Law saying something similar to him when he was in the hospital._

_“Don’t let it win.”_

Getting up and finding food was a good excuse to take a break and stretch his legs, to come out of the dark bedroom he’s been trapped in for almost two days. He wanted to get another clean towel anyway and a bowl of water to help Law wipe away the sweat and cool him down. He rummaged through the pantry and heated some water for noodles. Passing by the stove to the cabinet holding the bowls, he noticed something.

He jerked to a stop at the window above the sink, catching movement on the patio swing. Seeing as the house was full of people and finding someone outside wasn’t surprising, he was going to move on, thinking it was a staff member needing a break themselves. But it was a familiar form curled up on the bench, softly swinging back and forth, smoke trailing from a lit cigarette hanging limply in their hand.

From where he was, he couldn’t see their expression, but the blond hair and black feathered coat could only belong to one man he knew of, and that man shouldn’t be sitting on a swing all alone like that.

Trying to be quiet with the door, he stepped outside into the peaceful evening and came over to sit by Cora on the swing. The breeze was nice, the sky turning colors with the sun as it touched the tips of the trees. Luffy felt better for being outside and he decided that he would open up a window in the bedroom so Law could smell some fresh air too.

Looking at the man next to him, Luffy observed the way Cora hid in his coat, long legs pulled up so he could put his arms around them. There were plenty of things to be melancholy about but he figured Cora would be the optimist, trying to cheer up and see the bright side where there was already so much dark. “You ok?” He asked softly.

Cora gave a sharp sigh and nodded then stopped and shook his head. “I’ve had time to think and realize some things… Things I’ve been stupid about.”

“Ah,” Luffy acknowledged. “You mean Kuzan, yeah?”

The look Cora gave him was a step from betrayal. “You… What do you know?”

Well, shit, Luffy shouldn’t have opened his big mouth, he just kind of figured Cora knew by now; he was certainly on his way to finding out. “Um... “

“He knew where Doflamingo and Vergo were. He knew about the White Amber research they were doing. Do you think he knew about the kids they were using _for_ those experiments? Otherwise, why wasn’t he surprised? And he led us right to Law! We wouldn’t have found him if he didn’t say anything - why didn’t he come out with it sooner? It was like he knew that going to the pier was going to be a bust!”

These were rapid-fire questions Luffy didn’t have a chance in answering, but he figured he could let the man rant; it seemed to be helping. Law was the same way, he mused.

“I tried talking to him about the navy sending help to these kids; they need medicine and equipment, and we’re lucky your brother works for a branch of the government that could provide it because Kuzan said _they_ wouldn’t. And I asked who _they_ were and he just clammed up! Now he’s avoiding me, and he doesn’t want to be here because he said seeing all this hurts but - come on, it hurts all of us to see that, and I’m not leaving Law! So he’s gone to wherever and - fuck him!”

Maybe Law would forgive him for telling Cora what he knew because the cat was out of the bag already. “So, over a year ago when we had that fire, the arsonist wasn’t only Teach, there was a marine called Akainu there too.” Cora looked at him with wide eyes. “The fire chief was protesting something and Akainu wasn’t able to keep him quiet so he tried to have everyone in his way killed. He even tried to get Torao to kill Ace when he was in the hospital.”

“Akainu?! Why would he think Law would…”

It seemed to have clicked for him judging by the shocked expression, but Luffy spelled it out anyway. “He was going to blackmail him using you. They all knew about how Torao really got out of Flevance. He threatened to out you, but the blackmail didn’t work anyway because Ace wasn’t in the hospital anymore.”

“And Kuzan…”

“He knew,” Luffy confirmed, his tone was sharp; Kuzan _did_ let a lot of people die and got his brother almost killed, he couldn’t say he’d ever be happy with the guy but Luffy could understand and forgive a lot. “He tried to get Torao to keep quiet about it too, and then you got engaged. I’m guessing this all started because of the navy base and its research. That’s what the fire chief must have been against, and that’s why Kuzan knew about it.”

“And why he quit,” Cora completed the story. He looked out at the trees blankly. “I’m so dumb.”

Frowning, Luffy shuffled over to bump his shoulder against Cora’s. “Nah. It’s never your fault that someone else has lied. It’s Akainu.”

"Kizaru too,” Cora said, then his voice choked at the next sentence. “I… I hope Sengoku didn’t know.” The man sniffled, rubbing his cheeks as soon as tears escaped, then got angry; at himself and at the situation. “Things make so much sense now though! Law felt like he had to keep this from me too. And look at what happened!” He seethed. “If Kuzan had said something, the research could have been shut down and those kids wouldn’t be like this, nor would Law have to go through it _again_ -”

“Or,” Luffy interrupted. “Kuzan could have tried to say something and have his house burned down with everyone in it.” He didn’t really want to stand up for the guy, but it was obvious by the end of it that he was just as much of an enemy to Akainu as Whitebeard was. And he still had the gut feeling that Kuzan was good. The admiral didn’t care who got in his way or what he’d have to do to get rid of them. And that asshole is still out there, walking free.

When Law’s dad looked over at him, he tried to smile comfortingly. “Law told me that Kuzan was doing what he thought was right to protect you because he loves you.”

“I’d rather that love not come at the expense of anyone else. Especially not if it was causing Law to hurt…”

“I know Torao is special to you,” Luffy nodded like he was agreeing with something. “And Kuzan should know too; neither of them thinks of the other as family. But… Kuzan did choose in the end.”

Kuzan had come with them in their search, gave up his secrets so they might find the base, protected them and fought with them. He was the only reason they were probably granted entry in the first place; his authorization as an admiral in all but the name was what allowed them to get through the gates with a faulty backstory at two am.

“But did he choose Law because it was the right thing to do? Or did he do it for me?”

That was the defining point. One that only the man in question would be able to answer.

“Thank you, Luffy.” Cora’s arm wrapped around his shoulders in a brief side-hug. “Continue to take good care of Law for me? I have someone to talk to.” Luffy nodded with a smile. “I’m glad he has you.”

The tall man ruffled Luffy’s hair gently and the affection along with the words made Luffy feel warm. He’d been worried that Cora would blame him, tell him he was unworthy of being Law’s boyfriend if he couldn’t take care of him, criticize him for being too weak to stop him from getting kidnapped or too scared of his past to stay.

But Cora was only thankful; trusting him when he really had no reason to, accepting him because he made Torao happy, even loving him because he pulled Law from the fire and defended him from the people who wanted to shut him away. It was easy to see why Law loved the man so much, he reminded Luffy of Shanks in a way. Both sacrificed for others because of their selfless nature, and both of them earned their places in the hearts of everyone around them.

Maybe… someday he’d like to see the two meet. Law’s special person and Luffy’s; the ones who helped them up when they fell and taught them how to run, standing back proudly as they did so.

They both headed back inside, parting at the doorway as Cora left and Luffy continued into the kitchen to get his food. He started to scarf it down as quickly as we could. There wasn’t any meat and the ramen was woefully too little to fill his stomach, but he didn’t have the time or motivation to cook himself something. He wondered if he should take anything for Law, and decided to grab a banana just in case; soup would just get cold, but bananas were mushy and full of the good nutrients, right? Hopefully, Law would be able to keep it down...

He texted Sanji as he filled a bowl with water and put a clean towel into it. Zoro had gone home and presumably told the others of what was going on. Chopper already stated that he would come over after classes and help where he could, Sanji would be able to help with food if Luffy could convince him. It wouldn’t take much. Overworked staff and sick children starving for food? Sanji was bound to make a feast for them and Luffy’s mouth watered at the thought. He made for the bedroom once more, careful not to spill the bowl as he went up the stairs and softly opened the bedroom door so he didn’t make any sound.

Clicking it shut behind him, he was suddenly surrounded by silence. He thought it was bad to hear all the sick kids moaning in their beds but he could hardly take the sight of Law as he was; frail and quiet.

He placed the bowl of water onto the nightstand and arranged things to be more comfortable, cracking a window and making sure certain things were in reach. Penguin had shown him a few things to keep an eye out for, but nothing was amiss.

Stepping up to the bed, he stacked the pillows into a backrest so he wouldn’t be completely prone, then lifted the thin covers to slide in. Torao flinched at the cold air but almost immediately curled into Luffy when he settled, IV and wires trailing along with him. His skin was still burning to the touch and yet the doctor clung to him and shivered like Luffy was his only source of warmth.

Luffy thought it was cute how Law tucked himself under his arm to get closer, wrapping around his middle like he was a teddy bear and face burrowing in his chest. He couldn’t quite enjoy it though. He was propped up enough to wet a towel and place it at the back of Law’s neck, letting the water cool him whether he liked it or not.

“I think Shachi has a crush on one of the assistants from Sabo’s team,” Luffy said. He ran his hand through Law’s fluffy hair, looking at the ceiling thoughtfully. While it disturbed him to hear all the kids downstairs suffering, he didn’t like the suffocating silence in the bedroom either, so he made conversation. Usually, it was just with himself, but there were times that Law replied and he felt like it was good to speak about inane subjects like this. It helped with his sanity and just maybe, even in the state he was in, Torao would hear him and know he was there.

“He kept going to her to ask her questions when Peng or Bepo were right there. And, you know how he got when you bought him that special edition signed book series? Yeah, she gave him a compliment on something he did, and he got all red and he started stuttering and we all thought he was gonna faint or something but he just stood there in shock for, like, a whole minute.”

Penguin had given him the biggest eye-roll, patting his friend on the back comfortingly and shrugged at Luffy with a ‘whatcha gonna do?’ look. Bepo just smiled and said it was cute.

“It reminded me of when I first asked if you wanted a coffee.” He grinned to himself. “You were so weird about it.”

“Was not,” He heard Law say. The voice was quiet and rough, barely audible.

Grinning widely at the return of conversation, Luffy enveloped the man, careful of the connected wires everywhere and not squeezing so he didn’t disturb any aches. “You were. It’s cute that you get all red.”

“Not cute.”

“Very cute! Don’t argue with me, I have proof.” Luffy snickered. “And it’s my phone wallpaper too. So pretty.”

Torao didn’t lift his head so much as roll it but he gave Luffy a look that typically came with a sarcastic remark and even with the fever-bright eyes and flushed cheeks, the message was clear. If he had more energy he probably _would_ have argued with Luffy just because, his eyes furrowed in thought and he looked like he was going to let it go. But then he said, “Not now.”

And Luffy was pretty stumped at that. He caught Law’s eyes and frowned. There was a white mark creeping up the man’s jaw on the left, bruising from something on his right temple, and the shadows under his eyes were the darkest Luffy had ever seen them. Torao was far from in the best shape, but Luffy didn’t think that made him any less beautiful; it just meant he wasn’t _healthy_ , so Luffy reached up to flick his finger against the man’s forehead. “You’re still the prettiest. You’re Torao.”

“That makes no sense.”

“I said don’t argue with me.” The man huffed. “It’s not just what I can see. I mean, I know what people usually think are nice features. Nami and Vivi look at those magazines of models and stuff, and you’d fit right in.” Everyone would agree that Law was a great example of _tall, dark, and handsome._ “But they never look like real people to me. You don’t remind me of that; you have all these feelings and you care a lot about stuff, and… I like it. It’s real and special and pretty, and nothing like this could hide that.”

He liked to think it was Torao’s soul - such a bright and hot thing that peeked through the cold facade and lit everything up from the inside. Exotic features like the olive skin and golden yellow eyes were unique and beautiful but without that fire, it was just aesthetics. Even when Law was angry and his eyes would glare, teeth bared, and a sharp tongue could flay someone alive, Luffy was awed. That was why he loved bringing those emotions out; seeing Torao blush or watching him try so hard not to laugh.

But there was nothing better than seeing the soft happy glow; even better if it was directed at Luffy because of something he did.

“That sounds sappy.”

“Don’t pretend you hate it.”

There was a small smile on Torao’s lips now. “Nah,” He whispered. His eyelids looked heavy, and every time his eyes closed it looked like it took more effort to reopen them. “I don’t hate it.”

Luffy bent to place a kiss on the doctor’s head and settled in to join him in slumber.

* * *

When Law woke, he was, for once in a long time, not in immediate pain or freezing. His body was warm and he was able to come to awareness slowly, naturally, and he honestly didn’t want to move. He kept his eyes closed for a long moment, just savoring the peace and deducing where he was by feeling alone. There was a source of heat he clung to, practically laying on top of, and his torso lifted up and down rhythmically with another’s breathing. There was only one person it could be, and Law barely shifted his head so that his ear could listen better; inhale - the rush of air into the lungs, exhale - a sharper release and almost inaudible whistle.

Behind it all, the beating of a heart; _tha-thump tha-thump tha-thump._

It was almost hypnotizing, Law could go back to sleep listening to it, it gave him a sense of peace and comfort. Law decided then, that he wanted to wake up to the sound of Luffy’s heart every morning. As it was, however, he was rather sick of sleeping and wondered how long it had been since he was rescued from the base. It felt like ages, and he vaguely recalled the times he spaced in and out. There were flashes of Luffy, Bepo, Penguin, Shachi, and Cora but they were jumbled. He also swore he saw Lami at some point so maybe they were all fever dreams.

His eyes opened to get a sense of time and were met with natural daylight that helped him see. Blankets cocooned him and Luffy still had his arms around him even as he himself slumbered away. It was ridiculous how warm and comfortable he was when he was so used to aching all over. The very bones in his body had felt like they were melting and there was a moment there where just existing in that hell had seemed to be too much.

He promised he’d fight through; back when Luffy first defended him and chose to stay regardless of everything he’d found out about. Law had made that choice to take the hand that was offered and live. He might have stumbled after being poisoned again, but Luffy hadn’t let him fall.

During the worst of it, that promise to fight was all that he held on to, he trusted Luffy to not let him go, so he desperately strove to meet him halfway and hold on just as tightly. He supposes, that since he’s woken up like this, they’ve succeeded.

Tilting his head up to rest on his chin, he took a closer look at his sleeping boyfriend; mouth open, drool at the corner of his lips, hair an absolute mess of tangles like it always was. Kind of cute.

Slowly, he raised himself onto his elbows, taking his weight off the man and getting a feel for how weak he was. His limbs didn’t shake but a soreness made itself known like he’d overworked all of his muscles and was left with the unpredictable strain every which way he moved. It wasn’t debilitating, however, and compared to what it was like before, Law could handle it.

His mission was to get to the bathroom. Maybe he’d be able to do it himself without waking Luffy up, but the wires and drip line were the obvious hangups, and he didn’t think he’d be able to take it all with him. Sitting up, he started to un-stick the sensors that monitored his heart and brain to catch any cardiac or nervous system issues and disconnect the line running to the needle in his arm.

To his surprise, sitting up allowed him to survey the room and find another occupant sitting in one of the chairs dragged in from the sunroom seating area. Sabo, sprawled out in wrinkled clothes, head tilted back at an uncomfortable angle, slept a few feet away from the bed.

A blush dusted Law’s cheeks, because he and been all but on top of Luffy just a moment ago and it was awkward to think Luffy’s older brother saw it -

Scratch that, both of them were there, he noticed. Ace was sleeping on the little two-seater in the sitting area, legs hanging over one side, hat pulled over his eyes to block the sun.

He wondered if it was worth getting out of bed to confront them or if he should go back to dying.

His bladder decided for him and the painful ordeal of carrying out that plan took his mind off the potential trouble Luffy’s brothers were going to give him. Taking it one step at a time (literally), Law crawled out of his bed and slowly got to his feet, hand bracing against the furniture along the way. Knees shook and sudden sharp pains through his legs caused him to hiss quietly. Thankfully, it didn’t wake anyone up and he got to the bathroom in peace.

There were a few things on his list of priorities now that he was well enough to do them; he brushed his teeth for a solid four minutes and turned on the shower for a quick wash. He scrubbed his hair and body with one hand, the other holding out so as to not get the needle connector wet. Once all the grimy sticky sweat was washed away he felt much better, though it seemed like the energy he had to hold himself up was running out. His legs gave out and he had to sit down on the edge of the tub to rest.

Wanting nothing more than to get back into bed now that the basics were taken care of, he hurried to dress and return to the bedroom. Sadly, by this point, the running water and such must have woken the brothers up.

“Torao!” Luffy’s grin was bright and happy. “You feeling better?”

“For the most part,” He replied. Stepping around Sabo’s chair, he sagged down onto the mattress with a sigh, legs happy for the reprieve. “I feel like I can think again.”

Luffy scooted over to sit next to him. “Bepo wanted to know when you woke up.”

“I’ll go get him,” Ace said between a yawn. The opened door let in the faint noise of multiple voices and Law was curious to see what was going on and how everyone was doing but he didn’t think he’d have the energy to go down the stairs just yet.

“They’re all doing great, thanks to you,” Sabo said when he was caught staring at the door like he could see outside of it. “I can officially say we are making progress. Five of the kids have, in a sense, been cured. We’ve gotten as much lead out as we could, their fever has broken, no signs of permanent damage. The nurses say they should be able to go home in the next few days; their spots are already fading.”

Law looked down at the blotch that colored his arm in an ashy pale white where pigmentation was lost. It would be much slower to fade than the symptoms of the poisoning itself; melanin didn’t produce at a very fast rate and didn’t automatically blend in with the rest of the body's shade. Still, that they survived at all was a step away from a miracle. “That’s good.”

“Thanks to you.”

Seeing Sabo’s sincere look of gratitude, Law gave him a small smile and a shrug. “That’s why I created the report in the first place.”

“Once we can break out a full investigation and bring evidence to the public, we’ll be sure to credit your source.”

“Don’t,” Law replied. Both Sabo and Luffy looked at him in confusion. “If you credit anyone, give it in my mother’s name; my father was the one to make the discovery, my mother was the one who theorized how to treat it... They should be remembered for all the work they did.”

Luffy’s hand took his own and Law was glad to see that bright smile of his. “And you were the one who published it! You all saved a lot of people!”

That smile was contagious and his words made Law return it. The thought of his parent’s last moments, dedicated to the white amber sickness’ breakthrough, struggling to keep the sick and injured from dying - their work was not in vain. All this time, he’s held on to that memory like it was unfinished business. It’s what his parents died for, and now it’s finally come to fruition.

Should Sabo and his team actually decide to come forth about the real white amber sickness, their word would be taken much more seriously. Maybe it would be believed instead of considered as a conspiracy. They even had the means to prove it; Doflamingo’s source of white amber lead, stored and tested in the secret laboratory, was under their tight watch.

This is what contributed to the explosions they felt that night too; the chemicals and such were unstable and Cora and Doflamingo had set off a chain reaction in the combustible tanks. Half of the laboratory was destroyed, leaving a gaping hole in its side, but the lead was still there, along with all the data Sabo had collected and transferred to his unit.

Of course, there was already significant push back from the navy; it was their base and under their jurisdiction, and yet the national security branch argued that since it was the marines who had started such corrupt and unauthorized testing, that they couldn’t be trusted. Their largest concern was losing control over the lead and allowing it to fall into unwanted hands. For the moment, Sengoku, Garp, and other higher-ups have been coordinating easily on that front.

However, the news wasn’t quite so friendly or patient, and authorities tried to keep it as vague as possible: their testing of various biological weaponry involved inhumane methods and something went wrong. It was not a cover story that would last long and Sabo believed that it would go much smoother if they made an official announcement for it.

Law knew that he would be gaining a lot of attention soon, and that made him beyond nervous because he’s never opened up to strangers about it before, but in many cases that was nothing new. He was a very well known doctor who seemed to catch everyone’s eyes for his talent, and now the name Trafalgar would be even more distinguished.

Ace came back in with Bepo on his heels. The man gave him an update on all the patients downstairs while he took temperature and blood pressure (still higher than normal but indicative of recovery), mentioning a few difficult cases that still gave them some trouble. When Law told him he could come down to look them over, the man refused. “No!” Then, “I’m sorry.”

Luffy laughed at the quick apology thrown out after such a vehement denial, but he shook Law’s hand and said, “You still gotta rest, Torao!”

Truthfully, Law agreed. Earlier, he’d been so ready to get up from the bed he was bound to for days, but now he wanted nothing more than to curl up under the blankets to sleep more. The two or so hours that he’s been awake have been too much on his battered body.

“You need to eat first! Sanji made us lots of food and I asked him to leave some rice balls for you!” His boyfriend cleared his throat and looked away even as he handed Law a mostly empty plate. “I may have eaten a few cause I got hungry though.”

Law snorted a surprised laugh, unsurprised and unoffended. Bepo took that as a cue to herd everyone else out, Sabo and Ace saying their goodbyes as they were pushed out the door. Ace stopped at the doorway and leaned back in with a serious look on his face. His eyes caught Law’s. “I’m sorry for what I said about you being a plague and all…” Wow, that was straightforward. “You’re a good guy.” Now he looked uncomfortable, breaking eye contact to look at the carpet. “You protected Luffy and dealt with a lot of shit… so, thanks.”

Then he was gone and Law supposed that was the closest he was going to get to a blessing. Luffy obviously thought so going by his enormous grin.

It was cute, even if it made him look sort of unhinged, because Luffy usually only smiled like that after winning something, usually through force or sheer determination.

“So are we not going to count that hike as our first real date?” Law asked as he finished the food and set the plate aside, it was the perfect amount actually, he was afraid of disturbing his stomach if he ate any more. “Cause it was wonderful up until the moment I was kidnapped.”

Luffy groaned and threw himself back to lay on the bed, it made Law huff because he was trying to lift the covers up to get back under them. “How about we say the date ended at the beach? I put all that planning into it, we have to count it!”

“Can’t waste all that effort, huh?”

“Tonnes of effort!” Luffy rolled dramatically as Law halfheartedly kicked him away to make room for himself. “It was a cool idea, I was prepared, it had all the things dates are supposed to have, I asked Sanji and the internet; beach, sunsets, alone in the wilderness with nobody around…” He slowed down like he barely understood what he was saying. “... So nobody can hear you scream… wait.”

Law’s eyebrows went up and Luffy sat up with a look on his face like he’d just gotten the point of some joke. “So was the next step murder or…”

“No, no, I’m thinking he meant the other kind of screaming. I didn’t get it until now though.” The fighter came around to get in bed too, face red all the way to his ears.

Smirking, Law teased, “What did you think we would scream about then?”

“I don’t know!”

Despite his flushed face, they both laid down facing each other and Law brought a hand up to touch those rosy cheeks, smiling softly at the warmth under his fingertips. Luffy didn’t grow much facial hair, but he wasn’t completely smooth and Law thought the contradiction suit him.

Freezing in place, Luffy watched him as Law traced his features; running a finger down his nose, swiping his thumb briefly across his lips, touching the scar under his eye. Maybe it was still an effect of the low burning fever, but Law was cold and he wanted Luffy closer than he was even now.

He wrapped an arm around his waist and pulled, another arm going beneath Luffy’s head and around his shoulders. The boxer went willingly, squeaking a bit when Law hugged him, head tucked under Law’s chin, chests separated only by their thin shirts. Law even twined his leg with Luffy’s and melted into the bed as he felt the man’s warmth. “I have an idea for a date.” He murmured.

“Yeah?” Luffy must have been shocked about their new positions, as this was the first time Law had initiated such intimacy but he happily snuggled into the embrace. “What is it?”

“The zoo,” Law smirked as Luffy awed in excitement.

“Yes! That sounds awesome, I’m in.” He giggled, the action felt with all sensations; the body’s shake, the vibration of his vocal cords, the breath on Law’s neck.

“You’ll get to see the monkeys, and eat the disgustingly fat foods they sell at the stands.” He listed a few other things too, painting a picture of them walking through the park together, holding hands and sharing street-food, until he started to trail off, sleep weighing on him.

“One thing though,” Luffy whispered. Law hummed, slowly and quietly, a telling sign that he was about to fall asleep. “You have to kiss me in front of the polar bears.”

Another hum, like he was considering. “Deal.”

He didn’t know it, but that kept Luffy awake for a lot longer; basking in the closeness, giddy with the caresses he could still feel on his face. He fell asleep to dreams about a kiss and wondered if it would taste like powdered sugar from the fried cakes he’d get.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And here closes the second Arc or "Dressrosa" which leads us into the 3rd and final arc that I had planned. There are still some loose ends to tie up and, yet again, Akainu gets off free, we have to do something about that! D:
> 
> Also, I'm very sad that my original plans for Doflamingo's capture didn't work out cause I really wanted Luffy to punch him - maaaaybe he'll get another chance.
> 
> Upcoming, more Luffy-centric as he confronts challenges in his work life! And makes great leaps in understanding his love life.


	21. Twilight - Chapter 21

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Luffy isn't gay. He just wants to kiss his boyfriend.

Despite the months of time in which they lived together, Law has visited the gym Luffy and Zoro so often spend their time in twice. He's been by to pick Luffy up or drop him off, brought the younger man something he’d forgotten, taken a lunch break just outside the doors, but he's rarely walked through the facility.

It smelled of sweat and iron but looked clean and seemed to have enough paying members of the club to update and maintain the place. Several of those people were spread out on various equipment taking up the first floor. Behind them were glass walls into basketball or tennis courts and a pool was down a bit further. A small service desk on his left gave out rented equipment and lockers and on the right was a staircase going up to a mezzanine.

It wasn't a small gym, but Law knew they had grown over the years from a family-owned business, starting with the dojo they still ran and rent-able studio areas.

Knowing that the MMA area was just to the right of the equipment floor, he passed by treadmills and stationary bikes to a pair of doors. As much as he liked to exercise, he quickly grew bored of staying in place and he hardly had time or energy to put more effort into anything more than his daily jogs. They were great at keeping him in shape, releasing the tension, and giving him energy for the day ahead, even if he hadn’t been able to sleep the night before. That said, maybe he should make time for a game or two on the courts, it was bright outside and looked like a fun time. He knew several people who would be up to the challenge.

Through the pair of doors into the heavy training rooms that the martial arts program owned, he came to a different atmosphere, though it wasn't a negative change. The main gym was more recreational, full of equipment that any regular gym member would use in a light and relaxed place full of energy. Here, the room was full of a determined kind of tension; heavy punching bags, pads, gear, and a large squared-off area as a fighting ring. Everyone exercising here did it with purpose.

There weren't many people now however, and Law was able to find the person he came for easily. A few figures stood around the square mat, just outside of the boundary. Zoro, leaning on the colored ropes that made a barrier around the ring, was speaking in an angry tone that Law could hear from the doorway and Nami standing next to him had her arms crossed and hip cocked, frowning in a way that suggested someone was going to lose money.

He should be worried about their obvious downturned mood, but it was a figure in the middle of the mat that held all his attention.

Luffy was in the middle of a high kick when Law saw him, leg extending further and higher than considered normal for someone of his stature. The man could bend like rubber, dislocate his joints, and contortion himself into the most uncomfortable knots. Law has seen this many times because Luffy always stretched after their jogs and the ease in which he did the splits meant that a kick like that was far from impossible.

It was still amazing to see the shorter man move like that though, quick as lightning and able to land blows onto his much taller opponent without strain. Law moved closer to watch, keeping quiet to not interrupt or distract the fight going on. This was still not a sport Law was particularly into; the doctor part of him considered it stupid. He didn’t like how violent it could get, and some very serious injuries did happen, yet people still loved it.

Part of him understood what it meant to Luffy though, and no matter what he felt for the sport, he truly wanted to be there to support the man and see him fight his way to his goal. He also couldn’t deny the fascination upon watching it all either; like looking at a train wreck wondering who would come out of it still standing.

In this case, it was safe and smart to bet Luffy would. No matter how badly the odds _looked_ \- and sometimes they really looked bad. At the moment, the man Luffy was fighting was almost a foot taller and two times Luffy’s width. His chest was covered in tattoos, his blond hair long enough to be tied into a tail at the nape of his neck and those eyes shined with insanity under the lights.

His boyfriend had that look on his face that meant he was serious and his lips turned down in a frown when his kick missed its target by a hair’s breadth. He didn’t stop though, and that was one of his known tactics; Luffy didn’t let up in his fights, attacking constantly in order to keep the other on the defensive until they wore down and got just slow enough for Luffy to start doing damage.

This guy didn’t look like he was slowing though and he didn’t even flinch when his arm blocked another strike. He shifted his right arm to jab a punch of his own but Luffy was already darting around, never staying still, testing every point he knew for weaknesses.

This was just supposed to be a practice, no official match would be conducted in this setting, so skirmishes like this one were informal and casual, with basic rules. Assuming Zoro was a stand-in referee, he would have let them know ahead of time if there were any changes deviating from the norm, and the norm usually came with a set time per round, so it wasn’t just a free-for-all, non-stop deathmatch. A timer went off somewhere, signaling the end and he needlessly yelled out, “Time!”

… or maybe not so needlessly, because it didn’t seem like the two fighters were listening.

Luffy stepped back, letting off for a split second and that was all it took for the other man to switch to offense. His big arms swung forward like a battering ram, and despite the quick guard Luffy threw up to protect his face, the force of the hit sent him back a few more paces. His opponent followed, pressing the advantage to strike again, slightly to the side so that Luffy would have to shift to block.

“Time!” Zoro snapped louder.

By this point, Luffy was pushed back into the corner. Law could see his eyes darting to either side, judging how fast he’d be able to roll out of the way, but the girth of the fighter in front of him gave him little opening and the punches kept coming. They hit his arms, shoulder, an uppercut to the abdomen caused Luffy to curl slightly but he withstood it, keeping his defense up long enough for Zoro to jump into the ring and physically pull the larger fighter off.

“I said, fucking time!” Zoro growled. His hand on the man’s shoulder jerked him back but the man shrugged him off in the next second looking mutinous. Law was afraid he’d go back in for more, but he eventually decided to quit, sneering like it was an inconvenience.

With the fight over and Luffy able to straighten up without issue, Law felt himself move again like he was frozen on the spot before. He ducked under the rope of the ring to be by Luffy’s side, grazing his shoulder to get the man’s attention.

Those dark brown eyes were almost entirely black with the pupils blown wide, eyebrows scrunched in a glare that looked angry and intense, like a promise of something to come. Frowning came easier to him after he spit out the mouth-piece that guarded his teeth and it undoubtedly helped his voice when he told Zoro he was fine.

He surely looked fine, though there were bound to be bruises all along his forearms where he’d blocked those heavy blows. And no matter how tense the situation was, he still lit up when he saw Law. “Torao!”

Grinning now, Luffy tried to wrap his arm around Law’s waist to hug him but the bulky gloves got in the way. “Where’s Chopper?” Law asked in lieu of a greeting. Usually, the medical student was around for their matches, patching Luffy up after his fights. As Law didn’t see him around, he started a checkup himself, tilting Luffy’s head to look into his eyes, feeling his sternum and ribs.

Luffy was slightly ticklish in his sides, so he squirmed when Law made a pass under his ribs to feel the organs there and giggled. “He had a test today! I’m fine, Torao, don’t worry. Nothing even hurts!”

Law figured that if he wasn’t feeling anything now, he would be after the adrenaline wore off. But he’d deal with that when it comes, first, he had to get a better look at the asshole who couldn’t follow simple rules. Zoro was already glaring murder, but the man was leaving the ring with a nonchalant attitude bordering on annoyed.

“Who is that?”

“His name is Jack,” Nami answered. “Luffy has a match with him a few days from now.”

That was interesting; it was usually encouraged that opponents not see or fight each other before their scheduled time, and although many ignored this suggestion, Luffy wasn’t generally one of them. He liked the surprise that came with a new challenger and rarely prepared further than vaguely identifying their power-moves.

“He came in talking shit, started a fight. He’s someone to watch out for.”

“I can take him,” Luffy stated. Always with that confidence. Law’s mouth tilted just a bit in a smile he tried to keep back.

Shoulders brushing, he told Luffy to go pack up. The fighter was always ravenous after training and the faster Luffy could shower and leave, the faster they could go have dinner. The man smiled, agreed enthusiastically, and jumped over the ropes to run to the showers, tape and gloves trailing behind him as he went.

With him out of earshot, Law asked Zoro and Nami for more information on Jack. The blond had disappeared with his bag after the match, stomping off with arrogance, not even looking back at them. From the way Nami spoke of him, he was a real asshole with the strength to back it up.

“This class is going to be harder than the others,” Nami said. “Kaido, the reigning champion, hasn’t been defeated in years - that’s not an exaggeration. Not one loss in the last decade, half of that time holding the belt. He doesn’t even get any challengers anymore.”

“What’s worse, people say the championship is rigged. Kaido plays favorites and the ranks haven’t changed thanks to his influence and the dirty politics behind the scenes.”

Frowning In thought, Law tries to fathom what that could mean for Luffy. “How many matches until he gets to Kaido?”

“Seven. Only four of them are worrisome though. Jack is one.”

They talk about what they could do and deliberated on the battles (physical and political) ahead, but there was no solution; in the end, Luffy would just have to get through it with his fists.

Law believes the man can and will.

The two straw-hats leave and Law wonders back into the recreation room near the front to see them out and wait for Luffy. He knows he wouldn’t need to wait long, Luffy doesn’t even pause to brush his hair out after a shower and usually puts his clothes on while he was still partially wet.

Even so, Jack came out before him, and Law wouldn’t have even noticed or cared if the man hadn’t stopped next to him. “Law, right?”

He had a drawl to his words, an accent perhaps, not helped by the lazy way he said the doctor’s name. He’d be concerned about how this guy knew it in the first place, but he was well-known enough for it to not surprise him. “Yes?”

“I was told to give you this.” From his bag, he pulled out a single pink feather and let it fall in front of Law’s face. He grabbed it unthinkingly, breath caught. “Doflamingo was a very useful business partner to Kaido. He’s pretty pissed that a little bitch like you got him sent to jail.”

Instead of being cowed by the threat, Law smirked, holding the feather up by the shaft and spinning it to see the pick monstrosity from every angle. “I hope he rots in there. Thank you for the gift; I think I’ll frame it as a souvenir.”

“You have no idea who you’ve messed with.”

“No, it sounds like Kaido doesn’t understand the meaning of the term consequences. But whatever, I’ll be content watching Luffy take his belt from him too.” Knowing that the champion was in the same circle as Doflamingo changed his outlook at least; with a tip like that, Law had a direction to look in if Luffy got caught up in it.

Jack laughed. It wasn’t a very pretty one, he snorted like a bull. “You prissy-boys are all the same; you think your money or some guard or even your little boyfriend,” He sneered at the term. “Will save you.”

Honestly, Law wanted to point out that 99% of the time, money or fists got the job done just fine. And Luffy, the ‘little boyfriend’ had already proven the latter.

Said boyfriend came to stand by Law with a taut expression, watching Jack with suspicious eyes even as he spoke to the doctor. “Whatcha doin, Torao? Wishing him luck or something?”

He was about to reply with something sarcastic and teasing but Jack seemed to not handle being ignored or belittled very well and Law’s reactions to his threats must be getting under his skin. Consumed with having the last word, he snarled something like ‘you’ll get it’ or ‘fuck you,’ he wasn’t really picking out any definitive words from the explosion of rage this guy had. He turned around and stormed off with a nasty homophobic slur on his lips that made the receptionist gasp.

They watched him leave through the glass doors and Law finally huffed with a bit of humor. That was a tantrum fit for a baby. “Now that that’s over, let’s go.”

Luffy followed behind as they made way to the yellow car parked outside and at some point, while he put Luffy’s bag in the back and turned the car on to let the air run, he noticed the frown. Looking troubled and confused, the shorter boy stared at his lap and picked at a scab on his knuckles.

“What’s wrong?”

“I’ve never been called that before.”

“What… the gay-bashing shit?”

“Mm,” Luffy sighed. “Not that I’m offended or anything, it’s whatever, I’ve beaten jerks up who have said those things to my friends. I guess I was just surprised to be included in it now, cause I am.”

“You’re not,” Law disagreed. “You may have a boyfriend but that doesn’t make you gay.” He snickered at the contradiction but Luffy still looked too serious. “Don’t let it get to you. If you think about it too hard you start believing that shit and you have so many more people to tell you you’re fine as you are.”

Slowly, Luffy’s frown melted away and Law began the drive to the restaurant they had made plans for. As he drove, he took Luffy’s hand in his own to keep him from his nervous picking and for comfort.

“I’m gonna kick his ass.”

“There’s that attitude. Was waiting for that.”

“And when I win, we’re gonna make out right in front of him.”

“One step at a time, but for the record, I’m up for it.”

Luffy laughed, finally, and Law lost a bit of that tension in his shoulders he hadn’t noticed. “When are we gonna go to the Zoo?”

“I’m off Tuesday through Friday.”

“Tuesday!” He shouted. “No wait, I have a contract thing with Nami. Maybe I can cancel that? Nah, she’d murder me. Wednesday, I guess but that’s so far away.”

Today was Sunday. It wasn’t that far. Luffy continued to babble, excited for the date, but in particular, he focused on the deal involving a kiss.

He’d brought it up often enough that Law knew how heavy it weighed on Luffy’s mind. Not in a bad way, Law could see that the man was full of anticipation, not dread. At first, he worried that Luffy was somehow working himself up or trying to convince himself to just do it and get it out of the way; he was always so stubborn and if anything scared him, he met it head-on and on his terms. He worried that Luffy felt like he _had_ to do this, but the way he lit up in excitement and impatience told him otherwise.

Maybe this was what he needed; to have it planned so he knew exactly when and how it would happen. If Luffy needed that control in order to feel comfortable about it then Law would let him have it. He just doubted that it would be all he hoped it would be.

“What?”

His sigh was a little too noticeable and Law chided himself for getting distracted enough to react. As oblivious as Luffy was, he was very receptive to Law’s shifting moods. “Nothing.”

But Luffy wouldn’t leave it alone, leaning over to catch Law’s eyes and he sighed again, wondering how best to approach this. “You’re putting a lot of thought into this kiss.” He tried not to sound mean. “I think you’ll be disappointed.”

“Why? Don’t tell me you’re a bad kisser.”

Smirking back, Law said, “I’ve never been told that, no.” Turning onto the highway gave him an excuse to stall. “You’ve got it in your head that it’s going to be some amazing moment and you’ll feel sparks or something - that’s only in the movies.”

“I know. I’ve kissed before.”

He looked over at the fighter with wide eyes, truly surprised. By the way Luffy talked about it and emphasized its importance, the thought it would have been his first. Law was the only one he’s dated and he said that there was no other before who he liked in that capacity. However, he should have known that those facts didn’t matter when it came to kissing. And as a blush slowly bloomed across the fighter’s tan cheeks, Law grinned wickedly in response. “Oh? And who did you kiss before me?” He asked haughtily.

Fully red in the face now, Luffy shook his head exaggeratedly.

“Come on, tell me. Who stole it from me?”

“... You have to promise not to say anything!”

“I promise.”

That pout was adorable, but Law had to keep his eyes on the road, letting the younger man gather the courage to spill his secret. “Sanji’s sister.”

Law snickered, knowing now why Luffy would not want that fact out, the cook would probably kick his ass. Also, he’s vaguely seen what Sanji’s sister looked like; she was the only one in the cook’s family he was on good terms with and she visits his restaurant on rare occasions. She was beautiful, for sure, with the confidence to match and both siblings had a tendency to flirt unabashedly.

Knowing what little he did, he wouldn’t be surprised if she had tried her tactics on Luffy before. He’s very sure that many people have, Luffy was attractive in body and in spirit. And he was blind to the effect he had on people.

“It was a thank you, that’s all! She just… thanked me with a kiss. On the mouth.”

“How thorough was this thank you kiss?”

“It was just a simple kiss! No tongue!” Luffy was completely beside himself now, stuttering and whining, his face was on fire. “And I was so surprised I just stood there, like a limp fish!”

Law figured he shouldn't tease Luffy any more, but he laughed a bit at the imagery. “Well, hopefully, it’ll at least be better than that.”

“Who was your first?”

Ah, he didn’t think about the turnaround. “Baby,” He confessed. Luffy should remember her from when Law talked to Sabo to give an official statement; he kept his promise and made sure she and her husband received indemnity. She and her baby would be due soon, and she’s stayed close by. “We both wanted to know what it was like, and neither of us had any feelings for each other, it was all experimental. And awkward and uncomfortable.”

“And… your other firsts?”

He glanced at Luffy to see if he was comfortable enough to talk about this, but he only looked curious. Law had never been ashamed about his experiences and he theorized that speaking of it like such would calm any nerves Luffy might have. So he told him about the first girl he’d ever been with. He’s forgotten her name by now and if that wasn’t a clue to how important he considered losing his virginity was, the fact that it was a last-minute decision to take her offer and skip his chemistry class to do it in the music room, did.

Luffy teased him about how classy that was, and Law completely agreed with the sarcastic taunt, so he just shrugged and took it with a smirk. Then he told him about his first time with a guy, which didn’t happen until college and after he’d had a few flings. Not all women were soft or gentle, and not all men were rough and aggressive, but college was the chance to experiment and find what he liked. Most of them were faithful relationships, he didn’t make a habit of sleeping with strangers, even though they didn’t tend to last long. He preferred being friends-with-benefits, but it was rare to find and eventually fell apart for some reason or other; either they wanted to pursue other interests or developed some kind of feelings for him.

“Why didn’t you like any of them?” Luffy asked curiously.

“I would always find some reason. I didn’t like the word _commitment_ because that meant I was tied to that person; their issues, their whims, their needs, things I wouldn’t compromise on, and I couldn’t see myself handling that for the indefinite future.” He scoffed at himself. “If there was anyone who had the most baggage in a relationship, it was me. But… they’d talk about one day getting married or having kids and I would think: we don’t even know each other. I’d run out of there so fast.”

“Do you feel like that now too?”

“With us? Not so much.”

“Why? What’s different?”

Law has had a lot of time to think about that. “Everything else always felt so forced. I was never close enough to any of those people to trust them, so everything felt like a lie, and I did things because it was expected of me, not because I wanted to. With you, it was real and natural, I never had to _pretend_ nor did I ever feel like you did either. Our relationship is what we make it, and I need that as much as you do."

He pulled into a spot and put the car in park, letting it sit idle while he finished his answer. He was glad he could say this without the distraction because it was hard enough to get it out there, and he needed Luffy to understand. They saw their relationship from different perspectives but it was just as important to both of them. Law knew he’d never been in love; there was a huge disconnect between what he felt and what he did with his past partners. However, for someone like Luffy, those acts of intimacy were from the heart, and it may be hard for him to tell the difference.

“I like spending time with you. I trust you, so the thought of being with you for a long time doesn’t scare me. I like the idea of it, and… everything that comes with it too.”

Truthfully, he'd never been able to imagine a future with anyone, and while he wasn't dreaming about weddings or anything now, Law had always made plans. He planned his work schedule, his goals, his financials, his relationships, from day-to-day to years into the future. Nobody would describe him as being spontaneous, for sure. Only his family were ever considered as stable presences throughout. Until one moment he noticed Luffy had been included in that.

He noticed it when he looked at his schedule to determine his time off and strategize how to best utilize it and be with Luffy longer. He walked down the street or went shopping and thought of Luffy when he saw a particular item or food.

It seemed like, so suddenly he was overcome with this need to make sure Luffy was _happy_ in their relationship. Where in every other before, he hadn’t cared and waited for the end of it before it had even truly begun.

Both of them were turned in their seats to face the other and Luffy had looked at him throughout his tale with nothing but curiosity. There was no judgment on his face, and he didn’t look offended or unhappy with the way Law had approached dating in the past. Perhaps it was another reflection of his confidence; Luffy was hardly insecure, despite his slight embarrassment of having no prior experience, he was determined to try and learn. Maybe it was also that trust that they had in each other, where they each believed that the other felt something more, and their word alone held more influence than any self-doubt.

“I promise you,” Law said, knowing that he’d put that final assurance down; admitting it to himself and pledging to Luffy. They put a lot of faith into promises, and he knew he wouldn’t break this one. “When we kiss, no matter if it is bad and awkward or weird, it will mean something.”

The smile Luffy gave him was crooked, big enough to show his gums, and bared too many teeth. His laugh was more of a giggle, quiet and hissing, a unique sound of amusement that he tried and failed to hold back. It was cute and happy, and so _Luffy,_ and Law knew he’d said the right thing.

* * *

  
  


It was a beautiful day to be outside. There was not a cloud in the sky but the breeze was cool enough that the sun’s rays weren’t harsh. Not a lot of people were at the zoo today and Law was thankful for it; he knew how crowded it could get with children running around and herds of people congregating at the exhibit to catch sight of the animals. This particular organization participated in a lot of conservation programs and centered its attractions around education.

Luffy and Law picked up their tickets along with a map and walked down the path through the various climate zones. Many of the animals were out to enjoy the day as they were, and they read the informational plaques along the route for each. Law shuddered at the sight of the flamingos, his memory of pink feathers a little too dark to enjoy the beautiful flock of graceful birds.

Luffy’s hand in his pulled him along, and Law was content to be dragged around as Luffy chatted excitedly, looking like a kid. All the little interactive pieces were explored and they made note of showtimes for feeding or playing of the animals. Of course, Luffy wanted to go into the petting zoo too, where livestock animals were kept. Law originally refused to go in, not wanting the smell of goats or horses to get on him, didn’t want to touch them when they rolled around in hay and mud.

Like staying behind was a choice.

At least Luffy had fun headbutting a goat (who thankfully didn’t have horns) - most definitely not something he should have encouraged the animal to do to their guests. Somehow Law was even convinced to film it, wearing a look of total anguish while recording his boyfriend on all fours charging at a little goat with an offending _“baa!”_ No surprise, Luffy was the animals’ favorite; they followed him, played with him, and he rolled around in the dirt with them; pigs, chickens, a miniature donkey, all of them. Law told any viewers who would be watching this later that Luffy was right at home and that he should just leave him there.

Strangely, one old goat stayed beside Law the whole time, not joining in the rest of the mayhem even though the doctor had only given him a few pats before calling it done. Content to ignore the weird creature in favor of watching everything else.

He didn’t notice the goat chewing on his coat tail until later.

When the fighter was finally convinced to leave, he was covered in dust, had straw in his hair and clothes to match his hat, and smelled like a barn with animal drool all over him. Law made fun of him until they got to the ocean exhibit where they had a different kind of petting zoo. It was hard to tease Luffy when Law ended up spending as long as possible getting to touch starfish, urchins, rays, sharks, and even got to hold an octopus under staff’s watch.

Somehow, his clothes got soaked in some areas and he smelled like a fish market afterward. He guessed it was only fair.

They were having fun, taking the day slowly and enjoying everything at a leisurely pace. They had lunch where Law ignored whatever fried greasy food Luffy ordered and got ice cream. They played interactive games, won some special stamped coins Luffy gave him, and Law bought a monkey charm for Luffy’s keys to match his polar bear.

The arctic climate zone was saved for last but it still came up too quick in their opinion, even hours later. Urged to tease Penguin, they both took pictures of the penguins and sent them to the group chat.

> _Luffy: Penguin, your family misses you._
> 
> _(Media Downloading)_
> 
> _Law: Do you recognize this guy?_
> 
> _(Media Downloading)_
> 
> _I think he’s your cousin?_
> 
> _Luffy: We got you a keychain! In case you got homesick._
> 
> _Penguin: Funny guys… haven’t heard any of this before…_
> 
> _Shachi: Hahahaha! It’ll never get old!_
> 
> _Penguin: That’s not actually my name, you know?_
> 
> _Shachi: Silence! That other name is dead. You are forever Penguin._
> 
> _Bepo: Even if you didn’t choose it, it’s a good name._
> 
> _I’m sorry you get teased about it so often._
> 
> _Penguin: Nah, doesn’t actually bother me._
> 
> _Glad your date’s going well Cap ;)_
> 
> _Luffy: It’s so much fun! We went to this petting zoo, and_
> 
> _Law: Oh look, polar bears_
> 
> _Luffy: there was a chicken that was staring at Torao so_
> 
> _Oh! I’ll tell you later! Bye guys!_

Running ahead of him, Luffy jumped to stand on the bottom rung of the railing to look at the recessed habitat through the heavy glass. This polar bear was fairly famous to the park considering its disabilities. He was a lot smaller than the average bear and had a bone deformity that causes bowed legs and that meant he walked with a gait. Although he wasn’t in pain, going back to the wild would be a death sentence.

When Law first came here, he was reminded of an owl... injured, far from home, and unable to fly. He hadn’t given the creature any choice in whether it lived with its permanent handicap or died believing it was free and untamed.

Teenage Law had stood where Luffy was, Cora beside him, talking about the bear with a light and happy tone. Both of them watched as the bear stretched lazily in a patch of sun rolling on his back. “Look at him! He’s so happy.”

Law had tried to find a flaw in it; he couldn’t possibly be happy in a cage, could he? Or did he not know any better? But he was well socialized, had room to roam, toys, water, food. A wild animal was taken from his icy ocean and placed here where he ran back and forth for the children at the glass, played with fish and birds and toys, loved by his caretaker who saved and cared for him. It didn’t look so bad, honestly. It was a good quality of life, with meaning. Wasn’t it better than dying?

With Cora there with him and another chance at life in a new country, to start new… he found hope.

Stepping up behind Luffy, he was just at the right height to rest his chin on the man’s shoulder and look down. The same polar bear, years older, pushed a fish around as it flopped out of water. A second bear (who joined a few years back), sat down to watch amusedly.

Luffy giggled and Law could feel it shake through his body. “He looks happy,” The fighter said.

Slipping his arms around Luffy’s middle he hugged the younger man close and tried not to smile as he heard those words again. “I think he is.”

_I am too._

All of a sudden, Luffy wiggled in his hold, turning around too fast and almost falling off the railing. Turning to face Law and throwing his arms around the doctor’s neck, partly to keep himself stabilized, Luffy grinned brightly - mischievously.

Then, with no patience whatsoever, asked, “Well? You gonna kiss me?”

“Thinking about it, but this brat didn’t specify _when_ he’d get a kiss in front of the polar bear. Could be today, could be ten years from now -”

He was cut off by a pair of lips on his own, exactly as he hoped to be.

Luffy came in too quick, pushed a little too hard, lips puckered dramatically - about what Law could expect. But he had the enthusiasm, and after several seconds of their lips touching he pulled back to break the connection, breathe (because he was holding it), and come back again.

Law slowed it down, gentled it out, pushed back a little and demonstrated how their mouths should come together. Luffy’s approach softened and it didn’t take him long to mimic the tilt and angle, the way the lips parted just slightly to capture the other’s.

A few slow but chaste kisses later, Law leaned back to watch the fighter’s expression, seeing the furrowed eyebrows and tightly closed lids. It almost looked like he hated it…

Chocolate brown eyes fluttered open to catch his. “I didn’t know if I should have closed my eyes or not. Having them open was weird but I couldn’t tell what I was doing when I closed them,” He explained, and Law laughed.

Luffy’s grin grew and his arms were still around Law’s shoulders, their chests touching. A shiver was felt through Law’s hands on the man’s waist and he wondered if it was because of the cold habitat they were in or their proximity. He was betting on the latter.

“So, kissing is a yes?”

Humming obnoxiously in thought, Luffy eventually shrugged. “Yeah. I liked that. It’s not… I mean, I’m still not going to sit down and make out for an hour or anything, but it was nice.” He leaned forward to peck at the corner of Law’s mouth, smiling contentedly as he did so. “Yeah, let’s do this more.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love my job, but deadlines suck, I just want to sleep and write and eat good food. But hey, only 40 more years to go! :P
> 
> So I might wrap this story up a lot sooner than I thought, this chapter was a bunch of filler-fluff but it was important turning point in their relationship, I really liked the comparisons throughout too. Also, you guys have such strong reactions to the emotional trauma I put these characters through but the fluffy beautiful ending was hardly commented on. I thought that was funny. 
> 
> I guess that means you want more angst right?!


	22. Twilight - Chapter 22

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Although he wasn’t doing much, he felt powerful, he felt sexy and wanted. It gave him the courage to demand more. “Show me.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning for those who may not be interested in it; sex scene ahead. If you'd rather skip it, scroll past everything after you see Uni's name and Luffy gets his "idea" until the time break-line.
> 
> And this doesn't mean Luffy is not asexual - aces can/do have sex for many reasons. In this case, Luffy wants Law to feel good and he wants to be the center of Torao's universe. Even if he's aroused, it's a natural stimulus, and many asexuals can fantasize but (like in Luffy's case), they just don't want that done to them.

Nobody would ever say Luffy wasn’t confident in himself. He was sure of every step he took, even if he never knew where it would lead. Luffy never wanted to regret his choices, never wanted to miss out on things he wanted to do. He could admit he had a bit of an ego, at least when it came to fighting. He’s started fights with the pure intention of creating chaos, knowing that he could take on anyone and loved the opportunities he made to prove it.

There was a certain aura to a person who was completely sure of themselves and Luffy had it. He walked with confidence and went wherever he wanted to go, spoke his opinions unabashedly and without a filter, he bulldozed his way into getting what he wanted to like it was his in the first place.

It was a thin line between confidence and arrogance though and Luffy was just humble enough to keep from being the latter. He never looked down on those who were weaker than him, never used his strength to hurt anyone who didn’t deserve or ask for it. Just because he had a difference in opinion didn’t mean he was callous enough to bring someone down with his words. And he was definitely learning how to be patient and compromise over the things he wants.

Being in a relationship meant compromising. Torao had his own needs, dreams, and priorities that, for the most part, didn’t involve Luffy all that much. Law was super dedicated to his work; proud in what he did, good at it, strove to be even better at it - and the accomplishment he felt after saving a life or learning something new was a feeling that passed down to Luffy too.

Being a doctor meant so much to Law, and Luffy one-hundred percent understood that because his career in MMA was just as important. Torao came to all the scheduled matches, supported him in a way the others didn’t and there was absolutely nothing like Law’s smile when Luffy won. In the same manner, Luffy supported Torao.

“But don’t you feel neglected?” Nami asked with concern. “He’s not here, for the third time in a row. He knows we meet for this campaign every other Thursday.”

Not that Nami ever really cared about the game they played or the quest they all took with their characters during this time, but getting together was the main reason she came for it. She didn’t point out that the rest of the heart crew skipped meetings just as frequently.

“His schedule isn’t very flexible and he can’t just ask for every Thursday off, Nami.” Luffy explained for what felt like the millionth time, shrugging like it didn’t matter. It’s like she kept expecting his answer to change, and he didn’t know why she was so worried about it but he could see why she’d think it would bother him. Sometimes it did, but not in the way she thought.

Their relationship wasn’t traditional... in a traditional relationship, maybe any kind of self-doubt would have crept in by now to put other excuses behind Law’s absence. When his on-call days spanned over 48 hours, knowing that Law slept in a different bed that left Luffy alone in theirs at night. The staff of nurses and technicians that he spent more time around the clock with than he did with his boyfriend at home, half of which had some form of crush/idolization of him.

Luffy didn’t think of it that way though. That was Law’s life before Luffy even entered the picture, he couldn’t expect Law to change that for him - didn’t want him to. Torao was a doctor - the best, as far as he was concerned, and in an effort to support that, he didn’t ask Torao for more. Instead, he learned the typical schedule Law had and tried to match it when he could, and Law would actually take personal time off instead of letting the days collect until the board would force him to take a vacation.

Often times, they would have lunch or dinner brought to the Polar Tang Hospital to give Torao a break and Luffy a chance to see him. An hour here or there to make sure the man was eating, listen to new stories and tell him about his day.

He could see that Torao appreciated it even without the texts Bepo, Shachi, and Penguin sent. That little reprieve was exactly what Law needed sometimes, and all Luffy needed to feel settled and happy too. No lie, Luffy missed his boyfriend; he disliked how cold the sheets were without another person to snuggle to, hated how empty the house was and how lonely it got on the worst days.

It was a compromise. And while a whole week of enduring this torture sucked, Law would get another week free of work to spend with Luffy. His friends didn’t really get to see that part; Luffy sort of monopolized their time together, but it made it all worth it. Because while both Luffy and Law had priorities in their careers and dreams, they had needs for each other too.

Needs that were being met, he just had to convince his friends of that.

“He’s got four days off starting day-after-tomorrow. We have plans for the weekend - he makes plans for everything. I’ll get him to come and hang out with us all though, it has been a while since we were all together. The heart crew can come too and we’ll have a party!”

“Wait a damn minute,” Sanji growled around a cigarette. “That’s a lot of people to feed, who’s setting that up, huh?”

Luffy looked at the blond with a sort of blank face, as did a lot of his friends.

“What, you think serving a fucking buffet for twenty people is easy _or cheap?”_

Zoro huffed. “Don’t worry, I won’t eat your shitty food. I’m ok with just beer and I’ll bring my own.”

Before Sanji could start a fight with that kind of response, Luffy threw himself across the couch and into Sanji’s lap. A loud begging whine left his throat and the cook rolled his eyes at it, immune to the fighter’s begging by now; he’s had to grow a resistance to it or he’d never be free of the endless pit that was Luffy. But when he looked up, he found that the others (excluding Zoro) were looking at him with wide puppy-eyes as well.

“Please, Sanji?” Nami asked, her voice soft and sweet, deceptively innocent. The cook’s scowl was wiped away and replaced with a smitten expression.

“Ok,” The response was immediate, the tone was uplifted in such a way that it was like he’d never been against the idea in the first place. “Anything for you my swan!”

The blond’s eyes were enraptured by Nami, and he didn’t even look down at the fighter still awkwardly laying in his lap, but he did shove him off without a care. Luffy lost his balance and went all the way to the floor. “Hey!” He grumped. “Why don’t you ever do anything when I ask like that?”

“Because, you’re not a beautiful goddess with radiant auburn hair the color of sunsets and warm brown eyes, like the most decadent chocolate -”

Crossing his arms in front of his chest, still on the floor in front of the couch where he fell, Luffy pouted. “Am I hot enough for that to work on anyone?” Usopp choked from the other side of the room and while Sanji’s poetic compliments died off so did everyone else’s conversation. The room went dead silent and it only served to annoy Luffy further. “Is that a no?!”

“That’s a _what the fuck,_ Luffy,” Zoro growled.

The man sat up to look at his friend. “Am I hot to gay guys? Or straight girls too I guess, but I wanna know if guys specifically think I’m hot -”

“Or, you just wanna know if _Law_ thinks you’re hot,” Nami interrupted. “Which he does, I assure you.”

Franky coughed. “Bro, no worries. Torao is _super_ into you.”

“How do you know?”

Robin giggles. “The way he stares at your chest is very telling.”

“Or when he checks your ass out,” Zoro adds gruffly.

“And those _abs_ of yours; who wouldn’t stare at those?” Nami laughs.

“Nami!” Sanji gasps scandalized.

Luffy looks down at his chest, clothed in a loosely buttoned black shirt with printed pineapples on it. He even hooks a finger in the collar to pull it away from his skin and look down at his body like he’s never seen it before. “Ok… so, what do I do with that?”

Because he’s been wondering lately, what could make Law look at him like he was attractive?

Luffy was already gaining more confidence in kissing.

They did it more often now and it’s no longer this daunting thing Luffy has never done before. He likes kissing Torao; it’s tender and sweet and makes him feel closer in a way cuddling does. Law will kiss him goodbye in the mornings; pull Luffy into an embrace to kiss him like it was the best way to start his day. Sometimes, Luffy would still be in bed, trying to sleep for a little while longer and he'd feel a brush of lips on his forehead before Law left and it always made his heart burst with warmth.

Luffy kisses him goodnight in the evenings because he’s always the first to go to sleep and Law will be sitting on the bed, reading a book by the light of the lamp and he’ll look so soft and cute. So he’ll lean over to peck his cheek or catch his lips gently, thinking that he couldn’t possibly sleep poorly after feeling so cherished.

It doesn’t feel like a routine yet, even though they do it every day; Luffy still thinks about it. He sees Torao and thinks _I want to kiss him_ because it’s a sign of affection like hugging or hand holding, only it’s special because it’s only for Torao. And Luffy is surprised by how much he likes doing it - practically glows under Torao’s affection.

The fighter’s always been greedy with Torao’s attention. He wanted to spend time with him, talk to him, have Law’s eyes on him as Luffy made him laugh. Law always gets this look on his face too after spending time together; like all his stress goes away for a split second and it’s beautiful - especially because _Luffy_ was the reason. So, he’s tried to find ways to keep and hold Law’s attention in new ways now that their relationship has evolved.

However, Luffy never considered himself as _sexy..._ the topic was never on his mind before.

He’s never tried to seduce anyone and had no idea where he fell on the hotness scale. The few times anyone had made any move or so much as hinted that they liked his body, he didn’t know what to do, especially when he hadn’t acted any differently than he normally did. It was the only time he was self-conscious, as he over-thought every move to see if it was somehow… insinuating.

Now, he really might want it to be. Because he knew that Law’s eyes strayed sometimes, felt something more forceful behind some kisses, noticed hands that wondered but stayed above the belt. He wouldn’t have noticed if he hadn’t been looking for it, hyper aware of their touch every time they got intimate.

One night, they had stretched out on the couch after a movie and Luffy refused to budge from his comfortable spot, laid on top of the doctor’s chest. The light chaste kisses they exchanged had been lazy at first, Luffy half-asleep and Law trying to convince him to get up so they could go to bed. At some point, they grew deeper as they both got bolder.

He thought it was weird to touch tongues and swap spit so that wasn’t his favorite but when Torao kissed just under his jaw and on the side of his neck? He liked that very much. Paired with the man’s palm scorching a path up his spine underneath his shirt, and Luffy was suddenly a lot more into going further with this.

He just… fumbled with _how_ and the shock of it suddenly happening _now_ made him freeze.

Torao noticed his stiffness quickly and pulled back, but thankfully, he didn’t look overwhelmingly concerned. Luffy didn’t want him to be afraid to touch him or treat him like he was glass but as much ego as he had, there was no way of hiding his inexperience. That _certainty_ he had in every step he took faltered when it came to physical intimacy and he found himself intimidated by it in a way he never was in a ring. It was a ridiculous thing to be afraid of in comparison, and he apologized for it, but Torao disagreed.

_“Intimacy is built on vulnerabilities, you have to trust that the other won’t hurt you, physically or otherwise. It’s not stupid to be afraid of it.”_

_“I trust you though.”_

_“Trust in yourself too. It’s ok if that takes time.”_

He said this with plump lips, laying on his back on the couch with Luffy half on top of him. His eyes were golden with speckles of brown, his hair was a mess because Luffy had run his hands through it. There were the beginnings of a flush to his cheeks but Luffy was probably a lot redder, with a splash of beard-burn where Torao had kissed him.

Seeing Law’s reactions to him helped too, because Torao let him explore, and was very receptive to Luffy’s touch. He made noises when Luffy pulled at his hair, gasped when Luffy clutched at his waist. Far from the days that Law would pull away from his touch, now he seemed to crave it. Luffy just wanted to give that to him.

Part of him was sad that he’d let thoughts creep in to ruin the mood. His body certainly liked Law’s touch and he knew Torao had been excited at the prospect of something more. There was the stirring of a boner against Luffy’s thigh and a dark voice in his head whispered to him that he just teased Law with something he couldn’t give.

The sudden reminder that _nobody had ever touched him like that_ and the cloying embarrassment of stepping into such unknown territory combined with this uncomfortable out-of-body experience... was something he got caught up in. He hated being so indecisive in a way he wasn’t with anything else - he needed to figure out what he wanted.

So he looked up to his friends for ideas, answers, comfort - “I want to… look sexy.”

“Ho, boy,” Sanji got up. “Leaving this to the girls and Zoro.”

“Why me?!”

“You’re the only other bi-curious guy here!”

Nami squealed like she was excited. “Robin, help me give him a makeover!”

Luffy’s eyes widened at that, realizing what he’s just opened himself up to. “No, wait! I don’t need a makeover, just tell me how to get to third base!”

“Law seems like a direct kind of guy, I don’t think he’d need convincing.”

“ _I’m_ the one who needs convincing!”

The others laughed, ribbing him a bit more and causing him to sulk on the floor for a bit. He didn’t want to make it a big deal, he just wanted some direction. Law wasn’t pushing, he hadn’t made any moves or hints at all to go past what Luffy wanted, and maybe it was _because_ he was so relaxed, so trusting, so willing to just let Luffy set the pace that he wanted to push himself. At least he could find out what he’d need to do to build up to it, so he wasn’t just jumping right into it. Torao said there were plenty of other options anyway.

“Alright assholes,” Zoro called. “It’s late. I got work in the morning, get out.”

Their loud goodbyes started as they packed up and started to leave on by one. All of them giving some last-minute parting advice to Luffy.

“Wear a shirt you _don’t_ hike in, no print on it, and don’t button it up.”

“Get a banana… and eat it very slowly in front of him.”

“Touch his butt. Let me know if it’s as firm as it looks!”

“Be yourself. Don’t worry.”

He made little accepting sounds to them all, but when he went to follow his friends out the door, Zoro grabbed his shoulder to keep him there. They were alone after that, and Zoro sighed loudly as he turned to look at Luffy. They stared at each other for a bit, seeing into each other in a way best friends for many years have. Luffy knew Zoro would always have his back and Zoro trusted him with his life.

None of that made this conversation any less awkward.

“I’m going to give you something, and I never want to hear about it again, ever. Don’t tell anyone you got it from me, alright?”

Luffy nodded. “Promise.”

The man disappeared into his room and came back out with a paper shopping bag taped shut. He handed it to Luffy like it was a bomb. “Don’t open it till you get home. I kind of expected this shit to happen after you asked if bottoming hurt.”

“I didn’t say it like that.” Luffy pouted as Zoro gave him a disbelieving look. He pulled out his phone and Luffy winced at the proof his friend could pull up because Luffy had been sending him messages throughout the week ‘subtly’ probing for answers. Quickly, to distract him, he lifted the bag by the handle and shook it. “Should I thank you?”

“Please don’t.” He chuckled though. “Just make sure this is what you want. All these years I’ve known you, you were never interested in any of this.”

The fighter grinned, shoulders coming up in a shrug. “I don’t know. I want to try. I think… I want to do this - for him if not for me.”

Zoro folded his arms across his chest, narrowed eyes analyzing him. “You don’t normally do something just for other people.”

“I don’t think of it like that.” Luffy laughed because he still considered his reasons selfish. “I want him happy, and I want to be everything that makes him happy. I get the feeling sex will never be about _me_ , I could go my whole life without ever wanting it. It’s not a problem giving that to him though… Well, it won’t be after I just get comfortable with the idea of it.”

Dark eyes caught and Luffy figured he looked every bit as determined as he felt because Zoro reached over to push his hat down over his eyes and said. “The bastard never stood a chance.”

Luffy snickered, shoving the hand off his head. Zoro was never the type of guy to talk about feelings, he didn’t often hug or otherwise show affection, but he put up with Luffy’s. When the fighter leaped over to wrap his arms around him, the man just withstood the force and sighed.

“If something happens though, tell me first. If you tell your brothers before me, there will be nothing left of him to beat up.”

* * *

Jack wasn’t as badass as he thought he was.

The man was huge, strong, aggressive, and when he went after Luffy, it was difficult to do anything but block until he would find an opening. However, _the bigger they are the harder they fall_ , the saying went. While the man had stamina and used his brute strength to bust skin and bruise flesh, Luffy was faster.

Noise from all around was deafening, the crowds screaming loud enough that Luffy could barely hear himself panting, but he didn’t need his hearing to land damaging blows to the back of Jack’s knees, a punch to the face, a kick to the sternum.

The fight seemed to drag on, if only because Luffy whittled away at Jack in small bursts between blocking and dodging. He had to be careful because one hit from Jack could end it. Already, Luffy had withstood several blows; one in his side that hurt with every bend of his torso, another to his right thigh that radiated a dull pain. Not without giving as much back though… He gave a crooked grin around the mouthguard when Jack had to put distance between them to rub blood out of his eye.

There was a rhythmic chanting from the audience that just became background noise to him and he pressed forward to advance on his opponent, going low to sweep the man’s feet out from under him. His thigh protested the move and he had to support his upper body with a hand on the ground, but he succeeded in weakening the solid stance; Jack’s left leg collapsed but his right pushed off the mat to lunge for him.

Skipping back from the grab that would have taken him to the floor, Luffy rolled to the side, narrowly missing the massive arms trying to entrap him. Popping up on the other side, he was turned and open enough for Luffy to land a kick to the back of Jack’s head before the man could recover and the fighter dropped to catch himself with his hands, swaying.

The shorter man didn’t let up, darting in to finish the fight. Unimpeded, Luffy’s fist landed on the blonde’s right jaw, sending his head sideways. Another hook made contact to the cheekbone.

Dazed, Jack scrambled to lean back, out of Luffy’s shorter reach, his legs shook as they tried to get back under him to stand. Those last two hits kept him off balance though and he only tumbled backward to land on his back. There was a ringing sound that he barely heard over the sudden increase in noise by the crowd, but he backed up to let the referee in to check on the blonde.

Luffy took steps to the opposite corner, taking the opportunity to catch his breath but continuing to move and keep the blood pumping. His eyes stayed focused on the activity on the other side, seeing if Jack would be getting back up, or the match would be called. Seconds went by like minutes and Luffy tried not to let his attention shift to his injuries or the fact that he couldn’t catch all of his breath. The longer his adrenaline lasted, the better, but when the referee stood to give his diagnosis, it was to call the end of the match.

The crowd erupted in cheers and there were suddenly people in the ring with him, his hand taken to be raised in victory. Finally, his eyes lifted to the audience, looking at the masses of people in the stands, most of which were fans of his own. Hardly any seat was empty and he recalled Nami saying that his challenge to Kaido was a big deal to people who observed the sport. Especially because his past victories led many people to trust in his ability to make it to the top, to dethrone the champion at last.

He smiled at them all, his other arm lifting to wave at them. A twinge of pain from his side made his breath hitch, and he dropped it when every inhale ached. He was still panting hard and he took out the annoying mouthpiece so he could breathe better.

Just at the right time too, because he turned enough to see Torao just at the ropes of the ring giving him a beautiful smile that told him how happy and proud he was of Luffy’s victory. With an expression like that, how could Luffy not think about kissing him? He said that he would. Jack was passed out, but everyone was still watching, from the audience to the film crew recording it.

Marching forward with purpose, Luffy reached out to take Law’s arm, pulling him insistently up to join him in the ring. He couldn’t bend down at the moment to kiss him and he wanted Torao next to him at the center of the chaos. The doctor jumped/ was dragged up to Luffy’s side and embraced in one stumbled motion and Luffy laughed brightly at the barely heard curses. “I won! I won! I told you!”

His body was wet with sweat, hair plastered to his forehead, shiny oil and swelling from glancing blows on his face, and it probably wasn’t the most attractive picture, not that Luffy thought about it. But Torao’s hands came up to frame his cheeks and his bright eyes were sparkling with the same kind of elated feeling Luffy had. “You won, Luffy-ya.”

Law was the first to lean in, but Luffy met him enthusiastically in the middle, lips melding together for a few long seconds. Seconds in which Luffy couldn’t breathe and when he pulled back he laughed through the black spots in his vision.

“I love you,” He said. He still couldn’t see Law’s face through the darkening vision. “And I think I might pass out soon. I kind of can’t breathe.”

He heard his name being called and his arm was taken in a firm grip, but it was like he was underwater. Vaguely, he understood what was going on; he was led out of the ring, most of his body weight supported by Torao who had wrapped his arm around his waist too. Amazingly, he didn’t pass out, which was good because he wanted everyone to see him walk away from his fight with his head high. But he certainly was too dizzy to walk himself to the little infirmary set up below stage and once the cacophony of the crowds and the echoing voice of the announcer faded, he felt more oriented, also more boneless.

Both Torao and Chopper were there, talking about possible damage from the hits he’d taken and prodding at his side painfully. “It’s not broken, but we’ll get a scan done to see the extent of it. Hopefully, it’s just a fracture.”

That all sounded concerning but with both of the doctors there to look over him, he knew he wasn’t going to die. He was poked with a needle and soon enough the bright lights on the ceiling darkened too. It was a weird feeling, realizing you were falling asleep but also feeling an airy relaxation taking away the pain.

Fingers ran through his hair gently and he would recognize Torao’s touch anywhere, it made him smile faintly, even though the man sounded annoyed with him when he called him an asshole.

Waking up was similar in the way he slowly came to, light and voices filtering into focus. His eyes opened to see the two-by-two grid ceiling, bright exam lights shining into his face. He didn’t miss the familiar sight of the Polar Tang hospital’s patient room, but he felt a lot better than last time and he wasn’t attached to any IV or wires, so he slowly sat up. Chopper was waiting in a visitor’s chair by the bed, reading a textbook and taking notes. It reminded him of Torao; doctors were such book-nerds.

“Luffy!” He jumped up, paper and pens scattering. “How are you feeling? Should I get a doctor?!”

“Aren’t you a doctor?” He grinned.

“Oh. Right.” He chuckled, blushing in embarrassment. “Torao would want to know you’re awake too. He’s been so worried. But, we did lots of tests to make sure it was nothing serious.” The young man bustled around him, feeling his side which only radiated a dull pain (most likely because of the medicine he was on) and taking basic vital information. He asked the regular questions given after every fight to make sure he didn’t have a concussion or internal bleeding they couldn’t see. Aside from the hairline fracture on his rib and large bruises accompanied by swelling on his leg and parts of his face, he was fine.

Various others from his crew were around, some hanging in the cafeteria, others in the waiting area. They passed through to make sure he was ok and were comforted by the knowledge that he was awake and soon to be released. Law came in twice, once to check up, and once to hurry him along to leave the hospital.

“It’s my day off, but since I’m here they won’t stop bothering me, let’s go home. Sleeping in an actual bed will be better for you anyway.”

“Doctors know best! I'm starving though; we are picking up food along the way. Lots and lots of food.”

Law put up a protest, refused to stop at the more greasy fast food drive-throughs and instead ordered ahead to pick up from Luffy’s favorite BBQ place. He didn’t argue with that. Besides, he was still in his boxing shorts, barefoot, with Law’s borrowed yellow jacket over his shoulders, unzipped in the front and big enough to hang past his fingertips. The fur along the hood was soft and it smelled so good, so he just huddled into it as Law drove them home.

“Luffy…” Torao started, but then he paused.

“What?”

“Nothing.”

Lacking the energy and clarity from the pain meds, Luffy didn’t push, though Torao obviously had something to say. He forgot about it until they were home and he’d eaten his weight in delicious food, showered to get clean and comfy, and laid out on the bed with the yellow jacket over him.

“Why did you put that back on?”

“Because it smells like Torao and it’s warm like Torao and I love it - like Torao.”

He smiled, saying the words again now that he was aware of it made him feel tingly. A sharp inhale caused him to look over to where Law was sitting against the headboard. “You… said that earlier too. At the fight.”

“Yeah.” It was the first time he’d said it, but he’s known for a while. Luffy feels like he’s loved a lot of people in his life, people he would do anything for, they were his friends and family. However, the love he had for Torao ran through a different vein, and in ways he couldn’t imagine. He’s known. He doesn’t know when that changed, couldn’t pinpoint a time, but his heart was set long ago.

Admitting it wasn’t a problem for Luffy once he recognized it and seriously, they had all but shouted it at each other when they alluded to how important this relationship was, how special they considered the other. Torao’s expression told him that it was still a surprise though.

He looked kind of… scared.

Groaning in exertion, Luffy crawled up the few feet it took to basically climb into Law’s lap. His arms wrapped around his neck and one hand sunk into the fluffy hair to push it into gravity-defying spikes. “It’s ok, Torao.” He soothed. “You don’t have to say it back or anything. It doesn’t change what we already have.”

Tattooed arms wrapped around him, pulling him closer carefully to avoid putting pressure on his ribs. “It’s stupid,” Law muttered, tilting his head down into Luffy’s neck, hiding his face.

“What is?”

“That I’m scared to say it. That you love me at all.”

“Are you calling me stupid? You’re stupid! And very lovable!”

The doctor snorted inelegantly. Luffy felt his mouth as it opened to say something else, but instead just closed the distance between lips and skin to kiss Luffy’s shoulder. One hand left his hip to make a sign though; thumb, pointer finger, and pinky raised with the other two fingers curled to the palm.

Uni had taught them a few signs, even though he communicated through text more often. This sign was widely known to those who didn’t even practice sign-language. _I love you_.

Luffy grinned, took Law’s hand in his own and opened it up to trace along his palm in the shape of a heart. Then he shifted to trace over the permanent black lines of the heart on his bare shoulder, kissing the skin there afterward. With the way he was sitting, the other shoulder was out of reach, but the chest tattoo was available and the large outline of a heart begged to be touched.

It was quiet in the bedroom, filled with the sounds of their breathing and Law’s exhales shook every time Luffy’s fingertips traveled to the bottom point of the heart, ending at his abdomen. The back of his fingers trailed up, feather-light, skirting by the nipple and following one of the curved depictions of flames from the top, then down. It was such a hypnotic thing to do, and Luffy was already fairly sleepy wrapped up in the warmth of Torao’s jacket and arms, but that was when an idea came to him.

“Can we try something,” He asked slowly, still thinking it through. When Torao hummed in question, Luffy scooted to make room for his hand to go lower on its next pass. Low enough to feel the waistband of Torao’s soft pants, sweep against the skin there, before landing on the man’s upper thigh. Through their bodily contact, he felt the shiver it caused and Law’s inhale caught against his shoulder where his face still nestled.

“Can you show me how you touch yourself?” The words sounded so strange coming out of his mouth, but that’s what he wanted. If he removed himself from the main event so to speak, if he didn’t have to worry about _performing_ or participating, it wasn’t such a scary concept. He wanted Torao to feel good and he wanted to be here for it.

Law swallowed, nodded, and finally lifted his head up to look Luffy in the eye. Golden irises were darker than usual in the dim lighting, but also from the pupils blown wide, and Luffy noticed the blush on his cheeks spread to his ears. He was adorable, and obviously into the idea if the erection tenting his pants was any indication.

Grinning, Luffy leaned up to kiss him before getting out of the man’s lap. He pulled at Torao’s pants, helping him take them off before crawling to the headboard, getting in between it and Law’s body, pulling at him. “Lean back.”

Torao gave him a look, scolding him for his commands but also moved to put a pillow under his head so his body wouldn’t hurt Luffy’s ribs. He was pretty from this angle too, and now Luffy was in a much better position to run his hands over the tattoos. He draped his arms over the doctor’s shoulders, the yellow sleeves of the jacket he wore contrasting with the olive skin. His palms ran over the chest, enjoying the warmth and the way he was able to hug Torao close, and Luffy giggled as the man’s hair tickled his chin when he fully laid back.

Law still had his underwear on, strained by the swell of his cock, but he made no move to reach for himself yet. His focus seemed to be on Luffy’s hands instead, muscles jumping at his touch, and when Luffy tilted his head to kiss the man’s neck, he let out a tiny hum.

They kissed leisurely, Law in no hurry, obviously soaking up the heavy petting. Mixing it up with light touches to rougher grabs, watching the taller man's body arch into him for more and shake in desire when held down.

Law’s hands brushed his as he crossed his abdomen, trailing to the edge of his boxers and slipping his hand underneath. The thin fabric outlined Law’s knuckles, showing how the fingers moved as he palmed his hidden member, not so much wrapping around it as trapping it against his body, dragging up slowly. At the waistband, a small peak of its tip showed before being hidden by the hand and fabric.

Outlined in grey, the boxers flowed with his movements, and despite the fact that Luffy couldn’t see the details, he watched as Law’s hand went back down. His legs shifted to open a little wider and Luffy could imagine those tattooed fingers massaging his testicles, maybe moving further to the perineum before slowly sliding back up.

He was fully erect by now, and these small touches had been nothing but a tease showing him that Law liked a slow build-up. Or maybe he was just being a smartass who was ‘showing’ Luffy how he touched himself without really following his directions.

“Torao,” He whispered into the man’s ear, enjoying the way Law reacted to it with a shiver. Although he wasn’t doing much, he felt powerful, he felt sexy and wanted. It gave him the courage to demand more. “Show me.”

Beneath his arms, Luffy could feel his chest as it moved faster, Torao’s flush traveled all the way down his neck. The doctor’s hips lifted, boxers sliding down and being kicked off the bed.

All the months of sleeping together, and many more months of living together, and Luffy had caught glimpses, it was impossible not to. They shared the master bathroom and Luffy has gone in for some reason or other while Torao was showering and vice versa. The glass door didn’t have a frost on it but the steam and such meant that his body was never on full display.

Still, Luffy knew Law was circumcised at birth, averaged size, paler than the rest of his skin, with dark black hair. Not all that different from a regular penis that Luffy expected, but the fighter didn’t make a point of looking at other people’s dicks to compare. He forced himself not to stare and distracted himself by reaching into the nightstand beside them to take out an unused bottle of lube. It was better than lotion when trying to jack off and Law needed very little of it to get a good glide on his next pass over his cock.

“Luffy-ya,” The doctor said, head tilting to look at him even though he was upside down. He was panting a little but looked kind of confused. “This is what you want?” Luffy nodded. “Can you keep… touching me like you were?”

“Hell yeah. You already know how much I love your tattoos.” He laughed as Law rolled his eyes and dragged his palms across the man’s chest as if to prove it. In the background though, his mind was running so fast. This was happening. It was the closest moment Luffy had ever come to a sexual experience and he was probably more nervous about it than the man who was naked in his lap, masturbating under watch.

Did this make him some voyeur pervert? It did, didn’t it?

Was this a kink? Because he kind of liked it.

Torao sighed as his hand started pumping, slowly at first, and the slick sound of the lube was loud in the silence of their bedroom. But Law’s other arm came up to touch Luffy’s cheek and the fighter almost jumped at the contact, completely forgetting that Torao had a whole other hand. Fingers caressed his skin before moving back to bury in Luffy’s hair, threading through the strands and latching on there, not forcefully, but he shivered upon thinking it was to hold on.

Then Law moaned. His eyes had been locked on Luffy’s but they closed under the pleasure he was giving himself, his lips parted to pant. Luffy kissed them, short tender pecks that continued to land all over his face; Torao’s check, his forehead, his nose, his jaw, his neck and shoulders as far as Luffy could reach.

He looked down the plane of Law’s body, all lean muscle and black lines, the circles on his arm and the black spot on the back of his hand. The letters on his fingers as they wrapped around himself were stark against the soft flesh, twisting to catch the nerves underneath the head of his cock, thumb dragging along the opposite side to run across the tip. These motions gained speed but Law never got frantic, he knew how to work himself up and the noises he made and the little pulls of his hair told him he was doing a good job of it.

Luffy’s fingers followed the swirls on his chest, lightly tracing despite the heaving breaths and this time he didn’t ignore the nipples. He never knew how sensitive these buds were supposed to be, it didn’t feel like he got any strong sensations from them when he touched himself, but the hitch in Torao’s moan meant he liked it, so Luffy rolled them between his fingers. He thumbed across them on the way to smoothing down his flank, dragging his nails over to the center of his stomach before lightly scratching the skin on his way up.

Luffy’s mouth continued to place kisses where he could reach, and he attempted to make a hickey on the side of Law’s neck because he's never done it before. When he decided to bite down a bit he felt Torao’s whole body jerk in his lap.

“L-Luffy,” He whispered. The fighter had to look down to see if Law had come because of that, but he hadn’t. Although, he must be getting close, as the hand sped up and the restless movements of his hips grew more uncontrolled. Luffy smiled, feeling amazed at being the reason why Torao was losing his mind right now.

He breathed into Law’s ear, feeling the fingers in his hair tighten. “You’re so pretty, Torao.” A choked moan answered him.

“F-fuck - ah.”

Grinning a little more wickedly, Luffy used his nails to scratch along his sides again and as seductively as he thought he could be, said, “I love you.”

Several other things could have been said instead; Luffy had thought about saying _next time, I want to use my mouth_ or some corny line from a porno like _come for me_ but instead, he’d gone with that soft expression that they’d just started using. That admission of some deep devotion that had Torao looking so vulnerable after hearing it.

That was what sent the man over the edge, Luffy’s name on his lips and his body trembling under Luffy’s strong hands splayed over his heart. Hands that received a small splattering of semen as Law finished, hand curled to pump him through his orgasm.

The waves of pleasure slowly subsided, aftershocks that Luffy could feel, and Law was left to breathe raggedly, one hand a mess and the other slowly untangling from Luffy’s hair. His eyes opened to meet Luffy’s and the fighter leaned in to give him a gentle kiss. “You ok, there?”

“Sure, just gotta get my brain back. It melted.”

The slurred voice and the crazy words made Luffy burst out laughing, even as he started to coax himself from under Torao’s lax body. “We gotta do this more often if it makes you that dazed.”

“Shut up.” It took a moment, but Law eventually took Luffy's hand with his clean one and joined Luffy in the bathroom. He cleaned himself up, washed his hands, poked at the mark Luffy left on his neck with a half-hearted mumble.

He looked at Luffy for a long minute too, eyes roaming his body in a way that made him blush. “Do you want help with that?”

The hardon in Luffy’s pants was going down, but Law looked eager to help if Luffy wanted. He had a split second to wonder what it would be like to feel Law’s mouth on him. If he could ask for a blow job and see the man kneel in front of him to do it. From the outside, fantasizing about it was nice, but then he had to deal with the prospect of Law actually doing it _to him_ and realized that it wasn’t anything he was ready for. Despite his dick’s insistence for relief, he felt really good right now. Torao looked good after sex too; soft and relaxed and happy. And Luffy helped do that.

He didn’t want to ruin it.

He shook his head, took Torao’s hand, and led him back to bed. “I’m super tired now.” Which was very true. Also, the more he thought about it, the more appealing it was to just cuddle Law up close, feel those arms wrapped around him as he fell to sleep. “Maybe next time.”

“Next time?”

Luffy laughed, sending Law a mysterious shrug and pulling him onto the bed. He rearranged their limbs to his liking, ignoring Law’s huffy attitude at being manhandled because the doctor was also too tired and felt too nice to really fight about being treated like a teddy bear. “Next time!”

* * *

A cell phone went off, ringing obnoxiously.

It was Law’s and unfortunately, he could never turn it off during the night in case the hospital needed him, so it woke both of them up every time. Law has gotten good at quickly silencing it though, and by the second ring, he’s picked it up, mumbling sleepily. “Dr. Trafalgar.”

Luffy sighed. Rolling over to his stomach kind of hurt, but his ribs weren’t hurting too much and he buried his head into the pillow to try and return to sleep. Calls like this usually meant Law would be heading in for some emergency; he couldn’t complain too much about the rude awakening if it meant someone’s life could be saved. Thankfully, Luffy has always been able to fall back to sleep quickly enough and was already drifting when Torao shook him awake.

“Luffy, wake up, we have to go to the hospital.”

That was new, why would Luffy need to go _with_ him? He lifted his head up with a confused and sleepy glare, “What?”

“Sanji was attacked.”


	23. Twilight - Chapter 23

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A big part of Luffy would always be this wild, chaotic, untamed force of nature Law could never tie-down. Luffy needed to be free, to have his adventures and fight for what he believed in, go where he wanted and be the man Law loved. He’d wander, but so long as Luffy always came back to him, he’d be fine.
> 
> Law would always be there for him to come home to.

Sanji was fine.

He had bruises and a twisted ankle, his busted lip continued to bleed because he wouldn’t stop pulling them taut with a scowl. His restaurant was a mess because of three assailants who had come in just after closing to pick a fight with him. These attackers happened to be his brothers and they probably would have won if Zoro hadn’t been there drinking at the bar while Sanji cleaned.

Zoro was also fine.

He barely had a mark on him, but his anger was sharp enough to cut. Law liked to think he knew Zoro better over the many months he and Luffy had dated; they had several things in common and could get along well even outside of the shared circle of friends. Which was good, since out of all of them, he would say Zoro was the closest to Luffy. Although he would hate to say he had a _best_ friend out of the bunch of people he called family, they seemed to read each other’s minds in ways the others couldn’t.

Maybe it was because Zoro was fucking insane. He just hid it better than Luffy did.

Usually, Zoro was a calm, rational man… he had simple pleasures of beer and naps and training of the body and mind. He followed a strict schedule of exercise and took the time to meditate quietly, reflect and balance himself. The doctor had joined him in a few sessions before, to practice his rusty skills with the sword and to enjoy the peaceful tranquility between them.

However, the kendo master did nothing to talk Luffy out of his insane hair-brained ideas and even joined in ninety percent of the time. Like a demon, he relentlessly and fearlessly crushed anything in his way. When he got angry, he’d look for a fight, and similar to Luffy, he didn’t really think about the consequences. He supposed that if Luffy was going to do stupid shit, at least someone was there to help.

This was probably why Sanji’s brothers didn’t get very far with whatever they had intended. When the cook was finishing up in the back, the brothers broke in through a side door in the kitchens. Even three against one and taken by surprise, Sanji put up a good fight. His scuffle was heard by Zoro, and even though they still didn’t have the advantage of numbers, the two monsters were able to chase them off.

The message they wanted to send was successful though, and ironically it hardly had anything to do with Sanji himself. This was why Law was having such a hard time right now because despite not being involved in the altercation, Luffy was _not_ fine.

“You said they’d leave you alone, Sanji!”

“I said that as far as they were concerned, I wasn’t a Vinsmoke. They cut me out of the family, they were supposed to leave me alone, but now they’re blaming me for putting a black mark on their name.”

“They’re just using you as a scapegoat,” Zoro growled, looking like a leashed beast with how tightly coiled his rage was even as he leaned on the wall motionless.

Luffy, in contrast, was prowling the tiny exam room like it was a cage. “It’s because of me. Because I beat up Jake and pissed off Kaido?”

In the background, Law corrected the name to ‘Jack’ but none of the others were listening to him and he finished cleaning his workstation of packaging and tools used to treat the minor cuts. Sanji would just need a plastic brace for his ankle. He kept side-eying Luffy’s pacing, concerned about the man’s barely controlled emotions.

“Yeah, some bitch called ‘Big Mom’ is losing money from the competition too, and the Vinsmokes work with her. It’s a pretty big leap to come after me for this bullshit, but I never said the Vinsmokes were rational. To save face and protect their reputation they'd drag me out just to hang me.”

Law turned to watch his boyfriend pace, leaning against the work counter opposite Zoro. Sanji was sitting up on the table next to him, his wary expression very similar.

“Let’s go beat ‘em up,” Luffy stated.

Zoro looked to be in agreement with that stupid plan, so Law tried to be the voice of reason. “Luffy, going after someone like that could get you disqualified.”

“I’ll still come back to kick Kaido’s ass!”

“You’re missing the entire point; everyone is invested in his competition. They want you out of it, so getting disqualified or dropping out is exactly what they want.”

“I won’t get caught!”

“Are you willing to risk so much on that?”

“They went after Sanji because of me!” His eyes were wild as he snapped back. “What if they go after Chopper next? Or Nami? Or Usopp?”

Clearly, Luffy was working himself up with the possibilities, and Law was beginning to see familiar anxiety behind Luffy’s fervor. Someone was targeting his family, and Luffy couldn’t be everywhere at once to protect the more vulnerable members; he was feeling guilty, scared, and helpless.

He tried to reach out and take Luffy’s arm as he marched passed, to soothe him with touch or use the five-senses-tactic that’s worked for them before, but Luffy was too lost in it. Those emotions that he always felt so strongly were overwhelming him, telling him he couldn’t stop, couldn’t rest until the threat was dealt with.

The fighter brushed him off at first, but on the second try, Law threaded his fingers into Luffy’s, prying open the coiled fist and tethering him close. Despite the dark look that Luffy threw him, Law wasn’t deterred. "So we protect them. I don't think they would want you losing the whole championship over this, and it would only prolong the issue."

Zoro let out a sharp sigh. “I could do it, if Luffy isn't implicated in the retaliation then he won't be in trouble.”

“Nobody is going after anyone,” Sanji snapped, much to Law’s pleasure, he was beginning to suspect the whole room was against logical thought. “Luffy, keep the fight in the ring, I’ll deal with my shitty ex-family.”

“You shouldn’t have to!”

“Yeah, well.” He was pulling out a package of cigarettes from his pants pocket, mostly on autopilot before he remembered where he was, then just fidgeted with the lighter he had. “Look, it’s not like when I was a kid and couldn’t stand up for myself. I’m not going to let them hit me and I’m certainly not going to take orders from _Judge Vinsmoke_.”

“You might not have to,” Zoro said. “The next three fights won’t even be here.”

"Like hell, I'm not staying behind and letting anyone else get tangled up in it!"

Ah, Law had forgotten that not every fight could be located in Goa. The local MMA gym was one of many around the country. Eventually, Luffy was going to have to travel for them, his opponents were all over the place, and with how many fights there were coming up plus the length of time between…

Luffy was going to be gone soon. Law wouldn’t be able to follow.

Suddenly, it was Law’s grip that had gotten tighter, and Luffy’s attention finally shifted away from his anger to look at him analytically. Law didn’t know if he was able to keep a blank expression on his face as he shoved his emotions away from the surface to concentrate on the issue at hand. Taking advantage of Luffy’s attention, he felt like he was able to get through this time when he spoke. “Just don’t let them win. This attack was meant to get you distracted; don’t fall for it.”

“He made a point about the others…” Sanji frowned. “Most of us might be able to travel with you, it’ll be easier to stick together. But I know the lovely Robin will be staying, she couldn’t leave the library for that length of time. They'll need protection.”

“I’ll stay too,” Zoro said. “Franky will be here too. Between us and Law we can keep an eye on each other.”

The doctor nodded in agreement. “I don’t mind spending more time with her and some books. Usopp helps a lot there too, and with Uni hanging around them so often I think you won’t have to worry.”

“Settled then.” Sanji pushed off the exam table to his feet, putting less weight on his right. “Let’s get out of here, I need a smoke.”

It was still dark as they left the building, and Law sighed as he saw the time. The emergency call from Zoro and Sanji had woken them up in the early morning, but now Law had a scant three hours until his shift was scheduled to start. The cafe across the street looked so inviting, so when they parted at the doors, Law pulled Luffy in that direction.

Sanji, with his plastic brace on, waved goodbye to them as Zoro herded him towards the car. It started some kind of fight that Law couldn’t hear the details of but was sure it didn’t make much sense. All he knew was that at least Zoro was calm enough now to fight like they normally did; the fact that he was letting Sanji lean on his shoulder conveyed a different message than the snarled insults thrown back and forth. Law would never understand them.

Well, maybe he did a little. He was holding Luffy’s hand in his while he argued about getting food this late/ early in the morning. The fighter was _never_ not hungry. He was pretty sure nothing was even open yet though, so he convinced the man to follow him into the cafe for a pastry instead.

Luffy followed him easily enough. There were three people in the entire establishment, and one was a barista, so it was quiet and peaceful. He hadn’t been in here with the intent to sit and stay since Akainu came in to threaten him, and the thought of it still made him feel unsafe even in such a public place. However, Luffy was with him this time and he liked how the shorter man clung to his arm for warmth, it was nice, even if the wrapped limbs reminded Law of an octopus.

They sat at a different table than the one he’d been in back then, but he still looked out the wall of windows to watch for people passing by. Luffy untangled from him to get his food and sat across from him, but the man’s legs wrapped around his under the table. Law felt too warm and happy to properly make fun of his boyfriend’s clinging - Luffy didn't want to stop contact even for a moment, it was sweet.

He watched the fighter devour his food and gulp down his coffee with astounding speed and shuddered to think about the caffeine-high Luffy was going to be on soon. He didn’t realize he was smiling until Luffy grinned up at him with a mustache of milk-foam from his overly sweet latte.

 _This adorable idiot_ , he thought. He wanted to tell Luffy he loved him. Loved his smiles, his easy affection, the way he listened, how kind he was, how strong (mentally and physically) he was. It shouldn’t be so hard. _I love you._

Instead, he asked, “When are you going? The first fight is in Whole Cake city right?”

“Yep, and I think it’s this Friday. The match is Saturday.”

That was only three days away. “Whole Cake is pretty far...”

“Nami got me a plane ticket. Or at least, I hope she did, cause I forgot!”

“She most likely wouldn’t have trusted you with that anyway,” Law smirked. Luffy laughed at the joke, nodding enthusiastically in agreement. “How long will you be gone?”

“They’ll give us a week between challenges unless any injuries from previous fights aren’t cleared, then it’ll be pushed back. So, the shortest time I’d be gone is three weeks.”

Three weeks.

Why did that give Law so much anxiety? They’ve been apart for days at a time, while Law traveled a short distance to attend a seminar, or Luffy went on a long camping trip. But never so long as three weeks. That was nothing compared to the whole year Luffy was apart from him after the fire, but they hadn’t been dating back then; long-distance texting and calls would be less satisfying than before.

Still, Law told himself he wouldn’t complain - Luffy was fighting for the championship and Law supported that all the way. Three weeks would be nothing in the face of that goal and he wouldn’t be the one to stand in his way.

However, when his hand was taken up in a strong grip, he looked up to see a reflection of his feelings in Luffy. “Three weeks is gonna be like forever, Torao. We gotta call every day so I can hear your voice, and you better answer my texts, don’t ignore me!”

“Wow, needy much?” Making light of it helped and knowing that Luffy would be missing him just as much gave him strength. His confident smirk grew to be more sincere as he teased Luffy. “Here I was thinking I’d catch a break from you.”

“Like you could ever get rid of me.”

“Well, I did have your promise…” He wrapped his free hand around his warm coffee, his smile turning soft.

“That I’d be back?” Luffy grinned, chuckled, squeezed Law’s hand. “I’ll always come back. I love you.”

He knew his face was red, but his chest was soaring and he doesn’t think he’s ever felt like this before; so happy that he could fly. He still couldn’t get the words out of his mouth, but he turned his captured hand to trace a heart onto Luffy’s inner wrist.

“I’ll be here waiting.”

That promise was all Law needed. Because a big part of Luffy would always be this wild, chaotic, untamed force of nature Law could never tie-down. Luffy needed to be free, to have his adventures and fight for what he believed in, go where he wanted and be the man Law loved. He’d wander, but so long as Luffy always came back to him, he’d be fine.

Law would always be there for him to come home to.

* * *

“Where did you see it last?” The tiny voice asked through the phone’s speakers.

Luffy groaned loudly, “I don’t remember! Maybe it’s still in my jeans pocket, look by the hamper.”

“You are so lucky you’re not here to get smacked,” He heard Law’s grumpy voice mutter. “How could you lose your fucking ticket when you had it for all of an hour - this is why Nami doesn’t trust you with shit -”

“Did you find it?” Luffy worried at his lip, trying not to smile at the sound of his boyfriend’s complaints, now wasn’t the time. He had ten minutes until boarding and he had to check-in, but he needed the ticket number for the kiosk to accept him. Nami was already in the terminal and wasn’t replying to texts so he had to call Law and -

“I’m looking! Your clothes are all over the place; the hamper is two feet away but you just throw it to the floor…” He made a noise of success. “Got it.”

Luffy whooped in delight and carefully entered the numbers Law read to him. “You’re amazing, I love you!”

“Yeah, and for the low price of two coffees I won’t tell Nami you lost it.”

“Deal!” A robotic sounding voice announced the boarding procedure and he cursed, slung his backpack onto his shoulder, snatched the little printed paper the kiosk gave him and started to run down the lanes of terminals. Panting out his goodbye to Law as the man laughed at his plight. What a dick.

Nami gave him a good smack for being late and he wasn’t surprised to see he was the last to arrive. Chopper and Brook were already waiting, the former jumping up and down in excitement for flying and the latter calmly gathered his violin case. Sanji looked like he needed a smoke already, but he picked up his and Nami’s bag as well. Whether he was coerced by flirting, forced through debt, or just because he was a gentleman, Luffy wasn’t going to ask.

The flight was long enough for Chopper and him to watch a movie and Brook to share in his music through the headphones. Luffy quietly pulled up a song from his phone to listen to, asking if Brook recognized it.

“Ah, beautiful notes. I don’t know the song.”

“Would you be able to play it? If… if I asked you to, could you learn to?”

“Of course, Luffy. I’m not familiar with the language, but I will practice.”

Smiling, Luffy felt a bit of tension release from his shoulders. However, Nami was nosy enough to hear and turned in her seat to snatch at the headphones. They didn’t dare to try and stop her, so Luffy just fidgeted while she listened.

Her eyes watched him as the song played and he knew, as rude as she could be sometimes, she was a good friend. She was also smart enough to put it together; there weren’t many reasons he'd be interested in music sung in a language he couldn’t understand. Only one explanation fit: it had something to do with Law. At the end of it, she passed along the headphones to Chopper too. “You sap. It sounds happy. Do you know what it’s saying?”

Luffy told her the translated version, shrugging shyly when Chopper and Sanji complimented it as well. “Law said it was special to him. He doesn’t talk about Flevance much but the singer was from there too.” He had downloaded a lot of those songs, but this song in particular, the one Law said his parents danced to, was important. Although he wasn’t big on plans, Luffy wanted to recreate that memory in a way - he’d learn how to dance and he’d surprise Law one day with it.

Not that he was going to tell his friends about that part just yet.

When the plane descended to land, Luffy had his nose to the glass, taking blurred pictures of the city far below them. As fun as it was, he was exhausted by the time they disembarked, took a cab to the hotel, and checked in. It was dark by this point and Luffy settled into the clean linen sheets of his bed, Chopper was in the other, snoring away, but as heavy as his eyelids were, he couldn’t fall to sleep.

It was already weird to sleep in hotels, places that were so empty with no personalization to them, knowing that so many had traveled through here. Most of all though, he didn’t have Torao, and the separation felt more so now than it had most nights apart. Maybe it was because they had so much distance between them this time.

He reached for his phone, thinking to call the doctor, but stopped when he saw the time. He shouldn’t bother him, Law was always tired after an extended shift. If Torao was sleeping, he didn’t want to risk waking him up…

Almost too soon did he reach to put his phone away, because it started to vibrate in his hand, a tune shortly following in which he hurriedly cut off before it could wake Chopper.

“Luffy-ya?”

The fighter smiled, sinking into the mattress and all the pillows piled into the bed, none of which would be comfortable anyway. That deep voice in the phone was like a siren’s, instantly captivating and soothing. It was just what he needed, and like a teenager talking to their crush, he fell asleep with the phone to his cheek, drifting off like Law’s words were lullabies.

The next day’s fight was easy, it was the jerks hanging around the ring that made it difficult. Sanji’s family was there; three brothers, one sister, and one permanently-scowling father. Along with a few from this ‘big mom’ crew. Tensions between the supporting teams were higher than the two actually getting physical in the ring and with every kick and punch that landed, Luffy thought the large woman to the side looked more wounded than his opponent.

There was a lot of yelling after that, and the only reason it didn’t cause a scene in front of all the witnesses in the audience, was because of Luffy. He got down from the ring in front of the advancing Judge Vinsmoke with every intention of punching his lights out if he took another aggressive step. It made him pause long enough that publishers and announcers swarmed them in an effort to get a comment from him.

Luffy put on a grin and then turned to the fans with a final cheer. He hoped Torao was watching, and when the camera was shoved into his face again he answered questions and played nice. Nami was there to control his interaction with the media and as her arm coiled around his, her nails pricked him just enough to give a signal.

“Luffy didn’t have any problems taking out today's challenger. Of course, I believe Luffy won’t ever lose in this competition, but we were expecting a better fight from the leading title holders here. Either they’ve been out of practice or their strength was exaggerated.”

Even Luffy could tell that it was a barb against the political machinations that made these ranks. He didn’t get the point, but if it got under the Vinsmokes’ skin then he approved. “What do you think about next week's fight?” One of the publicists asked.

As Nami also turned to him, it was obvious he was supposed to answer, so he grinned widely. “It’s gonna be a _piece of cake!_ ”

Oh, he was a genius for making that kind of word-play. Or a dead-man. Nami’s claws dug in deeper even as she laughed. Luffy wasn’t concerned though, he bet Law was face-palming right now, and even the image in his head made it worth it.

“Luffy will be pushing forward with his challenge, if the fighter wishes to forfeit, now would be the time to do so.”

There were other questions asked, but Luffy lost interest after a bit and Nami was answering most of them for him. He didn’t do so well with all this publicity, he didn’t care to make people happy with pointless information about himself and most opponents used it to shit-talk the other. Luffy didn’t want to do that, he wasn’t there for anything other than a fight.

Time passed slowly as the event ended, the crowd dispersed, and Luffy was able to shower and return to the hotel. He ordered room service since it was the only time Nami let him spend money that way and Luffy convinced Chopper to join him in jumping from bed to bed and having a pillow fight.

Nami came in to see feathers everywhere and both men on the floor giggling like children. “I see you’re doing just fine after that fight tonight.”

“Nami!” Luffy flailed, sending feathers everywhere. “I can pay for the pillows.”

“Of course you will.”

“And of course I’m fine! That guy was easy!”

“I’m glad. I’ve seen the upcoming fighters in your way and I don’t think they will be as easy as this one.”

“Good,” Luffy stated. “I don’t want them to be.” Nami looked over the bare amount of crumbs that were left from their dinner and it reminded him of their cook. As good as the food here was, he wished Sanji had been the chef; there was just something about the food he made and how warm, energizing, and fulfilling it was. “Where’s Sanji?”

She frowned. “He got pulled away by some girl, she batted her eyes at him and he was _gone_.”

That wasn’t really considered abnormal but Luffy didn’t like the timing of it. Weren’t they supposed to stick together? Sanji’s family were still after him.

“What’s worse, she’s on the opposing side. One of Big Mom’s, I think. I tried shaking him out of it since it was too coincidental but - her name is _Pudding_ and he thinks that’s some kind of _sign_.”

Chopper giggled. “Pudding? He would be interested in that, wouldn’t he?”

Luffy crossed his arms, growling. “Sanji’s name means three, Zoro has three swords and three earrings - and last time I pointed that out he hit me.”

Nami rolled her eyes. “Dramatic bastard. Anyway, keep an eye out, if it’s anything like his other flings, it won’t last long.”

  
  


* * *

Maybe he was paying more attention because he was bored out of his mind when not training, but Luffy noticed Sanji’s strange behavior as it evolved. Nami would scoff at his lecherous ways, but the fighter wondered how true his feelings were for the woman he followed around. Sanji was a flirt, but most of it was harmless until a girl actually returned his advances (which happened more often than you’d think) and the man would change his approach. Suddenly, he’d act with all the grace he lacked in his attempts before; talking to her, taking her out on dates, paying attention to her needs and wants.

There were a lot of reasons he couldn’t keep a relationship, but being an attentive boyfriend was not one of them. If anything, his overwhelming commitment to them right off the bat scared most suitors off. And unfortunately, Sanji always gave too much of himself to others when most didn’t return anything. Some people were cruel and Luffy had seen many take advantage of the fact that Sanji never said no.

There was no indication that Sanji was being treated maliciously, but Luffy couldn’t help but find it strange how accepting this girl was of his interests. She blushed and smiled shyly, flirted and touched him delicately. She was every bit of a demure flower, playing the part of a woman in need of a knight in shining armor like this was a fairytale and Sanji was meant to sweep her off her feet. Sanji always fell for that shit.

_“He’s a romantic fool who thinks soulmates exist, people like that don’t learn. Shachi never does.” Torao told him._

_“He’s spending every day with her though!” He whined into the phone. “And when we hang out he just makes poems about her hair or eyes or whatever.”_

_“Lame.”_

_“Are my eyes the color of cinnamon and warm earth? A reflection of happy memories and… whatever.”_

_“No.”_

_“Ah.”_

_“... coffee.”_

_“What?”_

_“Your eyes are the color of dark coffee. Sometimes black, sometimes lighter. Little bits of hazel too.”_

_“Huh.” That was… He was blushing suddenly. “You like coffee,” He said numbly._

_“I love coffee.”_

_He loved coffee. Did he love his eyes? That was the closest he’d come to saying he loved Luffy. He didn’t get the chance to process that before Law was hurriedly telling him to go the fuck to sleep and hung up._

He was right though, Sanji wasn’t slowing down for anything and Pudding was monopolizing his time to the point that they hardly saw him.

One night, Luffy was heading home from the gym next door and saw Sanji getting out of the car with a dumbed look on his face. It was concerning until Luffy recognized the disbelieving smile he had on. Sanji noticed him and grinned, coming up to hug the fighter in excitement. “She kissed me!”

“Really? You’ve only known her for two days…”

“Just because _you_ waited so long to kiss Law doesn’t mean we all have that problem.”

Problem? Luffy frowned, an expression that Sanji didn’t notice, still caught up in recalling the date he just ended. He didn’t think it was a problem to not want to kiss someone he barely knew, even if he had immediately liked Torao upon meeting him.

“It was so romantic. I cooked for her and there were candles and her place is so small and cozy so it felt so intimate. I wish I wasn’t in a _hotel_ or I would have brought her here. It looked like she was going to ask me to stay, but I wanted to end the night with a kiss at the door. Oh, was it such a beautiful kiss.”

Saddened that Sanji hadn’t cooked for them at all over the past few days, Luffy tried to not feel jealous. He didn’t often get that feeling, but he was selfish when it came to his friends and he felt like Sanji was being stolen from him. So he said something he probably shouldn’t have. “What about Zoro?”

They weren’t together. Luffy didn’t understand what they had and he never asked. Both of them saw other people and pretended to hate each other, but Luffy knew they were closer than that. Although they lived together as ‘roommates’ and had separate rooms, Luffy saw them sharing one on rare nights. He witnessed quiet moments intimate touches -

He waited for them to figure things out and announce they were dating but it never happened. Did Zoro not make his intentions clear? The guy was pretty dumb when it came to talking about feelings, Luffy knew. Or did Sanji really not want to date him? He did always say he was straight.

“What about him?”

And every time that sexuality was questioned, he got snappy.

“I don’t know, did you tell him about her yet?”

“Zoro doesn’t need to know every facet of my life!”

“I guess,” That wasn’t what he was saying at all. “I just thought you were closer than that. I thought you liked him.”

“I-” The sentence choked off, Sanji losing his train of thought. The fighter can see him trying to come up with a defense.

“I’ll tell him then.” He passed by the cook, finally entering the hotel that they’ve been standing in front of for too long. It didn’t take long for Sanji to storm after him, following him through the lobby to the elevator.

“Wha - no! Stay the fuck out of it, Luffy!”

“Nah, I think he would want to know that you’re running off with this girl. What’s it called? Elote… eloke. Elope!”

“I’m not… I’ll tell him, okay? I will so don’t talk to him about it.”

Sanji wasn’t that great of a liar. Luffy grinned at him though, telling a little lie of his own. “He always said any suitor you had would have to go through him first.”

“He… What? He said that?”

“Yeah!” They got an elevator to themselves and Luffy slumped against the wall of it, picking at the wrappings still on his hands and pretending to ignore the look of shock on Sanji’s face. It shouldn’t have been so surprising, they argued a lot but Luffy knew both of them were friends at least. If dating never worked out, then they would still care about the other. That’s what Luffy was doing anyway. “You know he just wants you to be happy. Even if you both drive each other crazy.”

The blonde hummed distractedly. “I didn’t think it’d matter.”

“Of course it does.” Luffy frowned. “Zoro likes you. He’d be hurt if you just went off to marry some girl suddenly.”

A strange look was sent his way, Sanji seemed a bit more freaked out. “I’m not going to just go marry someone like that.”

Shrugging, Luffy nodded. “Talk to him. If you guys actually said what you meant instead of arguing, maybe you wouldn’t be so confused all the time.”

Sanji let out a bark of laughter. “Yeah… if only.”

“If you can’t say it, text it or write it. Sometimes it’s easier for Torao to say things like that.” Even now, as open as Law has been, it was more common for him to read endearments than it was to hear them. He’d get ‘I miss you’ or ‘you look cute when you sleep’ or he’d even avoid direct confrontation with a ‘clean the living room before I get home or I’ll throw out those chocolate bars you think I don’t know you have.’

It was a part of Torao that probably wouldn’t change, but that was fine with him. He never wanted Law to hide or feel like he couldn’t say what he meant.

“We don’t normally call or text,” Sanji said. “We only talk when we see each other.”

“Maybe that’s the problem? Try it.” The elevator doors opened and they split up, Luffy waving goodbye more dramatically than necessary. “It’s not too late, Sanji! Come cook us food soon too ok?”

Of course, he wouldn’t know if Sanji took his advice. He still continued to disappear for hours in the day but as the fight came up, he was there for support. In a surprising turn of events, the fighter Luffy was scheduled to fight turned out to be none other than a Germa 66 contracted boxer.

Judge Vinsmoke ran a scouting company that hunted down, conscribed, and sponsored fighters to fight for them. Luffy knew about them since he’d received so many offers after making a name for himself. Like hell was he going to sign his freedom away to do their bidding though, so Luffy scorned any proposal sent his way. Not many others had the strength to make it on their own though, and Vinsmoke’s children were his top fighters.

So when he got to the ring and faced one of Sanji’s brothers, the oldest he thinks, he didn’t know what to think. Sanji looked stone-faced from the sidelines and Luffy wondered if the man was worried. For him or his brother? He knew Sanji didn’t like his family, but he never wanted to hurt them, despite all the pain they caused him in his past. The blonde wasn’t bitter and vindictive like that, all he wanted was for his ex-family to leave him alone; they cast him out, the least they could do was follow their own decree.

In any case, Luffy wasn’t going to quit or go easy on his opponent. He was there to win.

He fought like he normally did; never pulling punches, never slowing down, never giving up. It wasn’t as easy as the last fight, but that was fine. He liked the challenge, maybe it was a bit masochistic, but he liked the feeling that came with getting punched - knowing he wasn’t fast enough to dodge or block - and this meant he had more to improve on. Every mistake made him stronger and he may not have been smart enough for school lectures to stick with him, but hands-on work taught him the most, and he never forgot those lessons.

So he grinned ferally as he felt his nose bleed and quickly ditched the mouth guard so he could breathe better. Blood gushed in rivers down his mouth, jaw, neck, dribbling down his chest and sending drops to the mat below. He didn’t stop so the referee didn’t interfere. The redhead in front of him kept this irritatingly calm composure, like he was a robot devoid of emotion or too arrogant to think he’d lose.

It was fucking annoying.

They both had the stamina but Luffy knew tricks that Ichiji didn’t. Although the man didn’t seem opposed to using some underhanded tactics that would have been considered borderline fouls, Luffy had a mix of martial arts from all origins to pull from. A bag of defensive and offensive moves that bastardized their styles as a whole but it meant that Ichiji had no way of predicting just how he’d move. It seemed like he was expecting textbook boxing moves or a common style of fighting seen in these competitions.

Ichiji’s expression didn’t change much even after he knew he’d lost, but his eyes showed concern. While they were in close-quarter combat Ichiji was bigger, and Luffy had been shoved to the ground to take away the slight advantage he had in speed and flexibility. That didn’t mean much though, as Luffy was unnaturally talented at bending out of holds. He shoved up and to the side, wrapping his arm around the man’s shoulders and coiling his arm around his neck. He followed through with his motion and tumbled to the side, bringing his captive with him into a tighter headlock.

It was over then. Ichiji struggled, but Luffy just kept his hold, wrapping his leg around to better stabilize the bucking body, feeling the heaving breaths and the cord of muscles in the man’s neck as his arm squeezed tighter. Due to his position, face so close to Ichiji’s, he saw the last minute glance to the sidelines, where Judge Vinsmoke and his siblings were. Luffy looked as well and felt a pang of sadness at the look of utter rage on Judge’s face.

This father felt no concern, no remorse, no support. He was just angry that Ichiji lost. As if his son was a failure and should be cast out like Sanji was for being weak. It must have hurt Ichiji to see that too, as emotionless as he tried to be, his struggles kicked up a notch and Luffy held on for longer as the man choked.

He kept thinking Ichiji would tap out; signal the referee that he was done - it was hopeless to think he could get out of such a strong grip, but the time dragged on. Luffy panted with exertion but the man in his arms was losing strength, his inhales began to wheeze, his free arm flailed without coordination. Luffy wanted to scream at him; tell him that he didn’t need to wait until he passed out, Luffy wasn’t trying to kill him here! Just _tap out_ … but he couldn’t.

As soon as the body went limp the referee was on him, but Luffy was already letting go, trying to respectfully lay him on the ground and back away for medics to check him over. He hovered to make sure the man was only unconscious, uneasy with the possibility of having a man die because of him. Luffy has put people down with his punches, sure, but he’d never seen someone stubbornly choose to be strangled over calling quits. Not even Luffy did that, and he knew all about the refusal to give up.

A team of medics had to transfer his body onto a stretcher and even as the victor was called and his arm was raised, the crowd wasn’t as loud as before and Luffy didn’t feel the complete elation of winning as he usually did. His eyes went to Judge again, and his anger started to boil.

He left the ring, Chopper frantically trying to clean his nose and stop the bleeding that still sluggishly dripped over his mouth. He tasted iron.

“Why the fuck didn’t you tell him to quit?” He said before he could even filter the words. His angry yell caught Judge’s attention. “There’s giving it your all, then there’s being suicidal! Was winning so important that you would ask him to die for it?”

The guy's eyes weren’t like Sanji’s, they were more green than blue and had ice to them as he looked down his nose at Luffy like he was an infuriating bug. “If that was the best he could do, then he shouldn’t be in my service. His contract will be terminated and he will never fight for me again.”

“Because he lost? You’re disowning your own son - of course you are. That’s what you did with Sanji… Fuck you. He could die and you’re already thinking about a replacement for your team.”

Behind Judge, the rest of the siblings shifted in place. The two brothers remaining had similar blank faces on but their eyes flickered to their father too frequently to be as unafraid as they seemed. Reiju held more emotion, both hands had latched onto her brothers’ wrists and her face was turned to watch Ichiji as he was carried away.

The last of the siblings, the outcast, _Sanji_ put a hand on Luffy’s shoulder to calm him. Which was good, because Luffy was seconds away from leaping over to put this asshole in a headlock too.

As Judge and his family walked away Luffy noted that they at least followed the medics with Ichiji’s body. He hoped that wherever the fighter was going to receive care, his family would give _some_ support - although it probably wouldn’t be coming from the father.

Sanji stepped away from him as the chaos settled and Luffy saw him talking to Pudding across the way. She jumped forward to embrace him and he held her gently like she was made of glass. It looked wrong because Sanji didn’t need _gentle_ and there was nothing a delicate flower would help him with. Sanji was strong and passionate and he argued and kicked things - sometimes he needed someone to tell him to calm the fuck down, to stop being dramatic, someone he could say _no_ to.

Huffing, Luffy kicked at a chair, trying to release some anger, but all it got was Chopper’s scorn as he pleaded for Luffy to stay still so he could push wads of paper up his nose. “All of them are fucking stupid.”

He was so thankful that his nose wasn’t actually broken. Seriously. He didn’t know who to thank but if he had to stay here longer just to heal and get clearance for the next fight, he was gonna go insane. The last week was torture. Luffy was ready to go home so long ago!

Even as he tried to keep himself busy, his thoughts would turn to the Vinsmokes and he’d be burning with anger again. Ichiji was fine, so Luffy could rest assured knowing he wasn’t a murderer, but there was little enthusiasm from his victory.

Sanji was still enamored with Pudding with no indication that he’d spoken with Zoro and that… that was fine. Luffy didn’t like it, but he wasn’t controlling enough to get in the middle of that; Sanji and Zoro were adults and if they decided to remain friends (or some weird approximation of it) then that was their choice. He thinks they’d be good for each other but then again, maybe their personalities clashed so much that they would be a disastrous couple.

Maybe they’d never know.

This whole experience really taught him the limits he’d go to win this competition though. Seeing Ichiji choke himself as opposed to admitting defeat… He really had to analyze his own determination. He never knew when to quit, didn’t give up even when it looked hopeless.

If he’d been in a chokehold like that, would he have the strength to tap out? Would he continue to think he could win? _I can get out, I can change the odds, I just need a little more strength, I haven’t tried everything yet, I could -_

Would he risk killing himself to win?

He must be pretty fucked up if his first instinctual answer was _yes…_

He called the Vinsmokes stupid, but who was the real dumbass here? He ran faster on the treadmill, lifted heavier weights, pushed himself to exhaustion in order to get stronger and without Torao there he lost track of time, without Zoro there to spot him he overdid it. His muscles got stiff and sore, and Chopper freaked out on him.

“Maybe we should postpone!”

“Chopper, don’t you dare. I’m fine, I just pulled a muscle.”

“You need your muscles!” The younger man pulled at his own hair in stress. “Maybe you need a doctor!”

“You are my doctor,” Luffy chuckled. “Hey, come on, do your doctor thing and tell me - am I gonna die?”

“N-no, but…”

“It’s just a pulled muscle. Nothing serious that you’ve found. I can still move my arms, I have full motion. That’s good, right?”

“Yes.” Chopper whined. “You can fight still. But Luffy, you have to be careful.”

“I will be.”

They were sitting on his bed, a game of cards spread out on the sheets in a mess because the bed itself was unmade. Feathers were still found in random places and he waved one away. That’s when the door slowly opened for Sanji to peep in. It’s been a while since Luffy had seen him and even longer since he had the man’s cooking, but when the blonde lifted a tray up for inspection with a smile he asked, “Can I come in?”

Like anyone was going to refuse. Luffy jumped up with a cheer, cards flying everywhere - he was losing anyway. “What did you bring? I’ll go for anything, _anything_ Sanji, you’re the best!”

The man laughed, setting the tray down and watching Luffy descend upon it like a vulture. Barely sneaking a plate away from the rest, he gave it to Chopper before it was devoured with the rest. “Careful there, Law might get jealous.”

“Torao knows my love of food surpasses everything. He’s prepared for the day I choose pizza over him because the guy can’t stand bread so there’s never any pizza allowed. One day, I’m going to snap and run away with a large greasy meat-lovers - thick crust with cheese filling, and leave him in the dust.”

“Poor guy,” Sanji laughed. It teetered off into an awkward cough though and Luffy turned to look at him, cheeks full of food and made a questioning noise. Those blue eyes were soft, lips in a smirk as he threw a napkin his way, but his body language was all wrong. He was almost curled up on the bed, arms wrapped around his long legs. That was unusual. Even Chopper realized something was wrong as he settled beside the blonde on the bed, shoulders touching.

“Are you ok?”

“Yeah, um. I just wanted to ask if you got the name of who you were fighting tomorrow.”

“Nah, I don’t remember.”

“It’s Katakuri. Pudding’s brother.”

Luffy paused in stuffing his face, dread cloying in his chest.

“He’s the strongest fighter. I’ve met him. He’s a scary guy.” Sanji fidgetted, something he never did…

“Did you want me to go easy on him because he’s Pudding’s brother?” He said it slowly, clearly, because the way Sanji was talking sounded like his opponent’s identity was important. Enough for Sanji to emphasize it; _Pudding’s brother_ , not _Big Mom’s fighter._

For a second, he was afraid he’d guessed correctly, that Sanji came here to ask him to show sympathy, to _lose_ because of his girlfriend’s attachments. But the man shook his head, “No, Luffy, never. I just want to make sure you know. He’s strong. You have to be smart and fast.”

“Of course. Why are you so worried all of a sudden?”

“Because I’m putting a lot of money down on you.”

Wow, Sanji never gambled like that. As far as he knew, the cook wasn’t in trouble with debt. Luffy knew what it meant to be poor, he wouldn’t judge or blame Sanji for doing what he could. However, he always considered the man pretty well off; he was lucky to have tried to steal food from Zeff’s kitchen mere days after running away from home. The old man took him in and Sanji worked in the restaurant ever since. He got paid and at some point in the future, he’d own the business himself as Zeff wanted to pass it down to ‘family’ and Sanji couldn’t want for anything more.

So why?

“I talked to Nami, we’re putting together the biggest pot we’ve had. I’ve put in thousands of dollars, everything in my savings account. Our goal is one mil.”

“One _million_?” Luffy screeched. “What the hell, Sanji? Why?”

He opened his mouth to reply but just stuttered. “P-Pudding…” He swallowed and tried again as Luffy’s hands curled into fists, rage coming back to the surface. “She said that her mom was losing too much and that she was scared about what would happen. They owe Kaido over a million dollars and they’re desperate to make it up. Katakuri is their strongest, they’ve put a _lot_ of money on him winning and Pudding asked me… She asked me…”

“To bet against me?” Luffy tried to finish. “Or plead for me to lose? Sabotage me? What, Sanji? What did she ask you to do?”

“All of those things Luffy,” Sanji replied, voice shaky. Luffy almost flew into a rage but Sanji jumped up before he could. “I can’t do that, I won’t. So, I put all my money on you. Everything I have! When you win, we’ll have enough for Big Mom to pay back Kaido.”

“So you want to give that money to her? Even though she asked you to do this horrible thing,” Chopper asked. Tears were running down his cheeks.

“I can’t just… I can't just leave her in that situation.”

“She’s lied and took advantage of you.”

“I know…” Sanji was crying too now and he rubbed at his cheeks with a curse. “You were right. I don’t know what else to do, Luffy.”

“You tell her no!”

“And leave her to die?” It sounded too dramatic at first to be real, but Luffy paused to truly think about it. Kaido was pretty serious and dangerous, wasn’t he? He worked with Doflamingo, and that man was not afraid of getting his hands bloody. People died over these things and maybe… maybe Big Mom and Pudding really were in danger if they couldn’t pay Kaido. He thought about all the people who died because of greed and an unwillingness to help others.

It was just money. Luffy was never the one to care much about it. One million dollars was just an unthinkable concept to him. What would he do with it anyway? As much as he would have scraped by as a starving child, begging for pennies, he was living comfortably now. Not that he would rely on Law for it, but the man was loaded too.

Mostly, he was just angry that Pudding would ask that of Sanji. She went far past just taking advantage. It was possible she never even liked Sanji in the first place, it was all a game to her. By the look on Sanji’s face, he believed the same. Seeing his friend crying took all the anger away for the moment and replaced it with the need to comfort. Sanji was hurt, making him feel better was the most important thing right now.

He crawled up on the other side of the blonde and wrapped an arm around him. “It’s ok, Sanji. We’ll give the money to her. They won’t die.”

“I’m sorry, Luffy.”

The fighter hummed. “You’re my friend. What’s important to you is important to me.”

“Yeah,” Chopper pitched in. “Luffy will win and everything will be alright, you’ll see! Even with a pulled muscle, I believe in him!”

Wide panicked eyes met Chopper’s and the man shrinks back, realizing what he said. Sanji stopped sobbing though, sniffling and wiping away his tears. “What?”

“Nothing!” Both Chopper and Luffy said at the same time.

The question was rhetorical though, and Sanji growled, putting a hand into Luffy’s shirt to shake him. “What the fuck do you mean, pulled muscle?”

That was more like it. Sanji being angry was a lot better than Sanji being sad.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi all, I hope everyone is safe as the world goes into quarantine. It's pretty scary out there but I'm lucky; I'm not sick nor do I have family who is, and my job is prepared to work remotely. In fact, I'm swamped with work because I'm in healthcare architecture. We've been assisting facilities in setting up the testing centers. Hard to find time to write in this mess even stuck at home 24/7.
> 
> Please stay safe and self-quarantine if you can. Reading fanfiction doesn't require social interaction! :D


	24. Twilight - Chapter 24

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Luffy being crazy, reckless, stupid, brave, beautiful, strong, kind -  
> Law is so in love it hurts.

On the day of the fight, Luffy went into the stadium with confidence. His anger kept him tense, which didn’t help his muscles. Overexerting himself yesterday was a stupid move he was paying for today. The muscles in his back and shoulders were knotted, protesting his movements, his arms were a little weaker, legs a little slower.

It wasn’t by much and he was able to hide it from Chopper, but he knew he wasn’t at his best and he couldn’t berate himself enough for it. His warmups helped, even though it hurt to push through them, getting them back into a full range of motion and pumped with blood energized him. He stretched to get them loose and anticipation of the fight ahead took up most of his energy, distracting him from his body’s limits.

As the others left him to it, alone in the open space of the lockers to start up some cardio, another man joined him. It was the first time he really looked at Katakuri; he was big, had red hair, a scarf over his neck hiding half his face, and a glare in his eyes. His black boots jingled with chains and his black jeans and leather jacket made him look dark and intimidating.

Luffy should be looking him over for strengths and weaknesses, observing how he carried himself and trying to determine what kind of style he used. Instead, his eyes focused on a plain white box in his hands. It was put down on a bench while Katakuri bent to begin removing his boots and changing clothes.

“Are those donuts?” Luffy asked, voice high in surprise. The glare on the man’s face intensified. Maybe he was expecting Luffy to lecture him about how appropriate it was to bring _fried sugary glazed donuts_ to a fighting competition. But Luffy just came forward and asked, “Can I have one?”

He didn’t wait for an answer, he was lifting the lid to the cardboard box, reaching for one of the chocolate icing ones with sprinkles. Before he could touch it, his wrist was caught in a hand that was twice as big as his own. Luffy pouted. “Come on, share.”

“They’re not for you.”

“Who then?”

“Me. After I defeat you.”

“Ah. Well, can I have them if I win then?”

“...no.”

Luffy shook the hand off of his wrist, frowning. “Stingy.” Katakuri just turned to ignore him, ripping off the boots and dropping them into his bag, he looked calm and collected but Luffy got the feeling he was unhappy... “You don’t look all that excited.”

Reddish-brown eyes, glanced at him with disdain. “Mother wants you out of the way, and as the strongest fighter, I was chosen to take you down today.”

“Wait, so you don’t even want to fight?”

“The title is not my concern, my family’s safety is, but I have never lost and I don’t intend to be defeated by someone like you.”

Luffy watched him analytically. “Like me?” He mumbled on repeat.

“I’m stronger, faster, tougher,” Katakuri stood, towering over Luffy with a menacing aura. His hand came up to remove the scarf around his neck and when Luffy could finally see the mouth he could see the peek of sharpened teeth, like a shark’s. They must have been filed that way which was so awesome but also sounded so painful… “You will not stand a chance.”

So, despite how cool this guy looked, he was like all the others. Tilting his head, Luffy smirked. “Full of yourself? Think you’ll win?”

“You are nothing, and I _will_ win. I fight for something important, you’re just another challenger who thinks you can get in mother’s way.”

Luffy wasn’t offended at the insult but he did frown. “You won’t. But don’t worry, your family will still be okay.”

That answer seemed to confuse him but Luffy didn’t want to elaborate, he wanted a challenge. Besides, Katakuri was right about one thing; the strongest fighters always fought for something. He’d prove himself to this guy and all the others just how strong he was, how bright his determination burned.

Luck did not agree with him and today it was certainly not on his side, but he never liked to rely on luck anyway. If he was going to prove himself, he wanted to win completely with his own hands and power. He considered, once again, just how much he’d risk to have that victory. Was that determination stupid? Maybe he was just too stubborn to know that it was a lost cause. It wasn’t worth his life, right?

If he lost here, couldn’t he try again?

It would take longer, he’d have to fight the others again, but it would allow him time to get stronger, to prepare for what he knew was coming. Was it really so bad to admit defeat? Was it worth dying for? He’d dreamed about being a champion for so long that he couldn’t fathom giving up, not even once.

Shanks hadn’t given up. He remembered watching the man as he fought, quick as lightning and so strong, a red streak of ferocity. Luffy admired him so much, not just because of that strength, but because he was humble, kind, and protective of those who couldn’t protect themselves.

He protected Luffy, despite what it cost him.

Luffy had sworn to be the champion, better than Shanks was, and he’d use his strength to protect others too. The redhead grinned, _believed in him,_ and plopped the straw hat on his head to seal the promise. He stuck around for a long while, teaching Luffy things (and back then, he didn’t need two arms to put Luffy down). The fact that he got up every time though, made Shanks even more happy to teach him.

Other coaches wandered in and out of his life; he learned so much from them too, and yet they continued to say his will was what made him the strongest of all. A thing that couldn’t be taught but was the distinction between good fighters and great ones. He didn’t quite understand that until now.

He’s never taken such a beating before.

His pain tolerance was high, he lived off the endorphins and the need to prove himself, he’s been knocked out before, had broken bones, but never had he withstood something of this level.

He wanted a challenge and he got one. Katakuri was one of the strongest he’s fought so far and his style was very much like Luffy’s own. However, Katakuri had an experience about him; he was smart, fast, and damn near clairvoyant.

For such a big guy, he seemed to be matched punch for punch, just as fast, as flexible, as unpredictable; there were close calls, too many, and Luffy couldn’t think of anything beyond _keep standing, keep going._

Even when he lost a tooth. Even when he was hit so hard that his ears rang and his sight blurred. There was a long moment where he laid face-down on the ground, referee checking him over to see if he could still fight. As much as he’d called Ichiji an idiot for pushing through helpless odds, Luffy could accept nothing else but the same.

He lifted himself up onto his arms even though they shook underneath his weight, pain lacing down his biceps to his wrists as his fingers dragged across the smooth padded mat.

Back on his feet, he settled back into a stance, preparing himself to try again. He threw a punch that was blocked, a kick that was dodged, failed to see the uppercut from the right and was distracted by the pain enough that he couldn’t avoid the next attack from the left.

His back hit the ropes and Katakuri backed away to watch him fall to the mat again. His hands and knees barely catch himself in time. He straightened back up slowly, body throbbing, and lunged forward again.

“Stay down,” Katakuri snaps, pushing him back again with a kick to the chest that made Luffy see stars. “You’re losing, can’t you tell? You can’t beat me.”

“No.” He took a breath, hand running over his chest where the kick landed and didn’t think it was broken but it was sure hard to breathe. His sight wavered, so he closed his eyes and tried to block out the pain his body was feeling, ignore it and push on.

A part of that worked and he was able to kick harder, with speed just enough to catch Katakuri by surprise and he continued his barrage with an energy he had no idea how he got. With his right knee rammed into the redhead’s side, the larger man tumbled back. Luffy thought he’d be able to take him to the floor, a tactic he usually didn’t go for but he was running out of anything else that worked.

At the last moment, Katakuri caught himself with his elbow and grabbed Luffy’s left arm in a tight grip. “Fuck,” Luffy yelped, recognizing how much trouble he was in as Katakuri rolled them. The man was larger, heavier - this was why other championships had weight limits - and Luffy was fucked.

His face was slammed into the mat, the captured arm pulled back in a way he couldn’t follow when Katakuri’s other arm shoved into his back to hold him down. The man pulled, tendons in Luffy’s arm stretching, overextending, tearing. The damage done from the night before was made worse and Luffy couldn’t ignore the pain anymore. He screamed into the mat, struggling, trying to get free, relieve the pressure but he was trapped and the force Katakuri pushed down on him increased until he couldn’t inhale to continue his choked off moan of torture.

“Tap out,” Katakuri growled into his ear, sharply filed teeth bared close enough that he could take a bite. “Quit. Now.”

“I-” He tried to inhale. “I won’t. I won’t lose.”

“Then I’ll fucking break you and you’ll have come this far for nothing.”

“F-fuck you, I won’t quit!” He spits.

The grotesque sound of his shoulder popping was something Luffy heard clearly despite the sounds of the crowd. By contrast, he couldn’t make a noise, just opened his mouth in a silent cry, pushing his face further into the floor. While his arm radiated pain, red hot then numbing cold, Luffy listened to his name being called frantically by Chopper and Nami. A bright and happy cheer came from his right where Big Mom and Pudding sneered at him, not that he could see their face.

“His other arm, brother! Both of them are already weak, it’ll be easy!”

Katakuri paused, his hand loosening from Luffy’s twisted wrist and the weight of his body was gone. There were other hands on his shoulders, the referee leaning over him to see if he was done.

Loud voices from the audience and the announcer started a countdown, the referee tapping the floor in front of Luffy to the same beat.

Brown eyes opened to watch the palm make contact, a haze settling over his mind. His eyes tried to focus on the blood dripping down in front of his face, blinking furiously until his sight was clear. His mouth was full of the metallic taste and he spits out a glob of it and it’s all he can smell; iron and sweat. Sounds were muffled and he didn’t know how long he had to get himself back up to his feet, how long he’d been down for.

The five senses, he realized. Touch, sight, hearing, taste, smell. Like when Torao would bring him back to reality.

What would he think, if Luffy gave up here? What would he think, if Luffy lost? Luffy fought for the championship, but it was more than just a title; it meant he was able to protect everyone he loved. He could protect Torao from Doflamingo, from Jack, from Akainu - anyone who wanted to hurt him. The rest of his family too; Nami, Chopper, Brook, Sanji, Franky, Robin, Zoro, Usopp, Vivi, Jinbe, Sabo, Ace…

It wasn’t an option.

He forced himself to stay present, dug deeper into his soul and told his body to _stand the fuck up_. Blocking out everything else, he shifted to get his good arm underneath him, pushed himself to stand, his breathing more even than before. The referee gave him a surprised look, but stepped out of the ring as the crowd went quiet with awe.

Katakuri watched him with a frown. “You were already injured before our fight?” He asked.

“That doesn’t matter.” He didn’t know how she found out about his self-inflicted injuries, but it truly changed nothing.

“My sister, she tried to fix the fight?”

“Yeah, but this was my fault,” Luffy forced his arm up, his left shook as it lifted and everything from his neck and shoulder to the tips of his fingers burned. It was basically useless; it hurt just keeping it in front of him, he wouldn’t think he’d be able to punch with it, but he’d fucking try. “Come on.”

“You still want to do this?”

To the outside world, there really should have been no way he could turn it around to win. Nobody would have thought him a coward to tap out after that. All the others would have recommended it, even. But he was stupid enough to ignore them, stupid enough to prove _to himself_ that he could keep going, to Shanks that he didn’t place his trust in a failure. He was risking it all to win. Because this wasn’t just another fight, this meant something much more.

Katakuri had a purpose, his determination to win… no, not just win, that wasn’t his goal; it was a method. His goal was to protect his family, the ones he loves. The large man swayed in place, bleeding just as badly, but his eyes still held fire.

He was risking it all too.

Luffy summoned more strength from some deep part of him; a well that was running dry. He got back into his stance. “I won’t lose,” He repeated his words from before.

Just a little bit more.

Again and again. They hit, they fell, they got back up. Time in between blurred, the blow to his head gave him a black eye and swelling in his brain, but he could recall the feeling of desperation on both sides; the real fight was in their will.

The large woman on the sidelines was screaming for Katakuri not to lose, raging that he had to win - had to, that was his duty. And he was so tired of these deadbeat parents who couldn’t just love their kids and give them encouragement over ultimatums. Katakuri didn’t seem to be listening to her though. “I take back my words,” The man said. “You are a worthy opponent.”

Katakuri hit the mat on his back and Luffy stumbled away, tripping over himself. His legs tried to give out from under him but he shifted to keep his center of gravity and locked his knees. Seconds of time went by like hours. People on the sidelines screamed. He watched Katakuri’s fingers twitch. His body lifted, rolled, collapsed. Lifted again.

Luffy didn’t know how much longer he could go when he could barely see anything, The earth seemed to tilt, his equilibrium felt off and despite the fact that he felt like he was in a funhouse, his locked knees kept him in place. Even still, he found himself smiling, determination warring with his exhaustion and respect because Katakuri hadn’t given up.

He was pushing himself, going beyond his limits, all for the ones screaming obscenities at him from the sidelines. It was a beautiful strength.

It almost came down to a scored vote, there were no ties in a fight like this, but when they both hit the ground with finality at the same time, the referee didn’t know what to do. They counted, the whole stadium chanting, and Luffy couldn’t feel his body as it moved. It was on autopilot at this moment, climbing to his feet without consciousness, Luffy stood up like he was sleep-walking, but at least he stood.

Katakuri did not get back up.

The audience was deafening but none were louder than Big Mom as she screamed. Dizzy and confused, he didn’t notice Chopper until he was suddenly _there,_ he spun too quickly and found his blurred vision was going dark. “Luffy, it’s ok! It’s over now!”

* * *

Wherever he was when he woke up, it smelled like antiseptic and linen, familiar and yet off. He opened his eyes and looked around to recognize the infirmary so he just groaned as he tried to sit up. Damn, did everything hurt, but he must not have been out for long.

There was a loud noise though, almost making him think the fans from the fight followed them backstage but when he looked up, he found it coming from one woman, blocked by Sanji, Brook, and two others behind her that restrained her. Nami and Chopper were staying back and he could recognize other people, like Pudding and Vinsmoke standing to the side.

Their voices slowly sharpened to something he could understand. “Killing him would solve everything!”

“Listen to yourself,” He heard Sanji say. “You’re talking about murder-”

“Your family too! They’ll all die!”

“Mother!”

Luffy lifted himself to swing his legs over the bed, stiffness in every limb and head starting to feel airy on his shoulders, familiar effects of pain medication working through his system. There was very little feeling in his left arm and it was unresponsive to any attempt to move it. He was surprised that nobody noticed he was awake by now, but to be fair, more alarming things were going on right now. He looked to the second bed in the little ward to see Katakuri slumped against the mattress. Everyone else turned to look at him too.

“Enough, mother. Please.”

“But… what are we going to…” She trailed off, looking lost and angry still, and Luffy should be more sympathetic but even now this woman was looking down at Katakuri like he was a disgrace - like it was his fault. As it was, Luffy just wanted this mess to be over by now. So he got everyone’s attention with a grunt - a truthful reaction to the amount of fuzzy-pain he was in, as he scooted to the edge of the bed.

His voice came out a lot rougher than he expected it to, “I told you it was going to be okay, didn’t I, Katakuri?”

The man furrowed his brows in confusion, the only thing he could really see since he had the scarf back around his face, but he nodded slowly, confirming that Luffy _did_ say that. Luffy grinned back, “Do you have it yet, Sanji?”

Continuing the voiceless ques with a sigh, Sanji slowly turned to Nami, reaching for the bag she held in her arms. “Nami-swan,” He called gently. “It’s time to give this away.”

She hugged it tighter and whined. “No, no, no.”

“Please…”

His whispered pleading was what led her to loosen her hold on it. With one last peek inside the bag at all the money, she sniffled. “Fine.”

The blonde took a soft breath, taking it from Nami with care and stepping closer to the woman and her children to make the exchange. However, before he could even start, Pudding was there in front of him, her hand snapping out in a slap and struck Sanji’s cheek with a loud clap. She scoffed at him, tears running down her face. “I thought you loved me, you were supposed to do what I asked!”

“Pudding… I couldn’t do that.” Sanji murmured, his hand tightening on the bag in his hands. He stepped further back from her, which brought him closer to Luffy, looking at the ground, his left cheek turning red from her palm.

“Then what use are you-”

“Hey!” Luffy growled, reaching up to put a hand on Sanji’s shoulder. “Fuck off, you were the one who-”

“Listen.” Sanji interrupted, probably for the best since Luffy was ready to start something else. “I didn’t do what you asked because it was wrong and… it wasn’t right for you to pretend to like me. That doesn’t matter anymore though. Here.” He held the bag up for her to take it, and she did so with confusion. Slowly, she opened it to look inside and her eyes widened in shock. “All that you need to pay back Kaido, right?”

A few seconds later, when she didn’t reply with anything, the large woman huffed and snatched the bag away from her daughter to look inside.

“We should thank you then,” Katakuri said. The man surely didn’t see for himself what was there, but when Luffy met his eyes, he knew Katakuri had caught on. “You won, but despite our deception, you decided to help us anyway.”

Pudding still looked at Sanji, frozen, with a flabbergasted look on her face that suggested she couldn’t process what just happened. The cook wouldn’t meet her stare though.

“It’s true that we owe Kaido a lot of money and no way to pay it back. However, they were also a partner that we willingly worked with. It would be what we deserved, had you chosen to leave us to face our fate.”

“You fought hard for them. You fought for the money, I fought to win and be the best. This way, we both got what we wanted.” Luffy answered.

“Linlin, it’s real, it’s all here.” A woman said after looking through the bag. Pudding and Katakuri’s mother seemed pulled between pleased and angry.

“What did you want in return for this?” She asked with a bite. She looked at Sanji with distaste. “My daughter obviously wasn’t convincing enough to sway you, her body was the best she could offer but she told me you didn’t even sleep with her.”

The hand on Sanji’s shoulder tightened. “I did not,” Sanji confirmed. “And as lovely as your daughter is, I care about her more as a person. As a woman who needed help, and someone who would sacrifice her chance at love for family. She’s worth far more than any currency or favors from you. All I ask is that you don’t interfere with us. Leave me and my family alone, and when Luffy challenges Kaido, don’t stand in his way.”

“Done.” Big Mom said. Her hand waved dismissively and turned to leave the room. “You put a lot of trust in your friend. I’d wish you good luck, but I don’t have near as much faith that he could take down Kaido the Beast. I’ll certainly let him try, though.”

“By family,” Reiju said. Everyone’s attention shifted to her and the Vinsmokes. “Do you mean us as well?”

The cook frowned and Luffy could feel him tense under his hand. “I never wanted to see you come to harm. If you want out of this partnership… then you should be allowed to break all ties, freely.”

“I don’t need them anymore.” Big Mom confirmed. “Judge’s fighters weren’t helpful anyway.”

The man looked murderous at the barb but the woman was already leaving, the rest of her children following. Pudding was led away from the room by one of the others, her eyes still uncomprehending as they stared at Sanji. Katakuri slowly stood, receiving help from one of his sisters. “One day, I wish to fight you again, when we are both at our best.”

“Hell yeah!”

When they left, a layer of dread went with them, but the air was far from being cleared. The Vinsmokes still wavered between Sanji and the door, knowing that there was more to be said, even if Judge looked like he had much more important things to do than be held up here.

Sanji’s eyes weren’t avoiding them either as he had been with Pudding. His ice-blue gaze held them with a certain animosity. “I gave you this chance, do with it what you want, but you all made it clear long ago that I’m not part of you, and I don’t _want_ to be. I have a father, his name is Zeff and my friends, Luffy being one, are siblings in the family that I choose.”

Reiju was the only one who seemed disheartened by that, but she also looked proud of him for standing up and saying it, accepting his decision as she’d expected it. It was for her sake that Sanji offered a branch of peace. “You’re always welcome at the Baratie. Should you care to visit, I’d be glad to have you.”

Nodding, Judge started to back away, children following along. “I understand,” The man said. It sounded sincere and Sanji’s body loosened as they left. It was a pretty crazy ride from the moment he woke up, but Luffy was glad to see it all come to an end.

“Luffy!” Chopper exclaimed, a delayed reaction by far. “You’re awake!”

* * *

They were considerate of his injuries and asked if he’d still be able to travel, but their tickets had already been purchased and Luffy wanted nothing more than to go home, see and hug Torao, then _sleep._ His face was black and blue, his entire body sore and covered in bruises, limbs weak and shaking like a newborn fawn, his entire left arm immobilized in a sling.

Traveling was uncomfortable and people stared, but Luffy got used to it. People tended to look twice at others who looked so beat-up. One kid asked him what happened and he grinned, showing his lost tooth, and made up a story about bears and bad guys and how he slew a terrifying beast destroying the city. Both of them were entertained while they waited for boarding and the kid’s mother smiled as he swung his imaginary sword dramatically and the girl screeched in laughter.

After that though, his meds wore off on the plane, and his headache came pounding back. It hurt to look at bright lights and he was getting a little motion sickness so he called Torao to give him his estimated time of arrival and tried to block all sights and sounds out for the rest of the trip. It was a completely different experience than their way _from_ Goa.

Chopper gave him more pills when they got off the plane but they didn’t kick in before he saw Torao waiting at the exit. It was pretty anticlimactic to just walk up and burrow into Law’s shoulder with care not to be jostled too much but he sighed in happiness when Torao’s arms wrapped around him, not tight enough to hurt, but Torao seemed desperate to have him close.

Warm and nice, Luffy already felt himself melt, humming happily as he felt Law’s touch as it skirted the arm brace, traced his black eye, and fisted into his shirt to avoid squeezing him closer. They stayed in that embrace for a long while, fingers brushing through his hair softly. “Welcome home,” The doctor whispered. It always made the fighter happy to know someone was there to say that.

Pulling apart, Torao led them to his car where they all piled in. Luffy started to feel loopy as they drove home, but it wasn’t enough to completely forget the miniature party they were having to celebrate. Law’s house had the rest of Luffy’s friends, his two brothers, and most of the heart crew there. “Are you sure you want to have it now? None of them would mind postponing it.”

“No, I won, it needs to be celebrated! I want food!”

“You’re just gonna eat until you pass out.”

“Nu-uh!”

He totally would, he knew. But he wanted to see everyone after the time apart. He heard Usopp talk about his new gadgets built with Franky and Uni, Robin and Torao read scary ghost stories to him, Zoro got new students in kendo. He missed them all.

So despite his body telling him to rest, he jumped through the door grinning and hugged everyone, showing off his injuries like they were glorious war-wounds.

He ate delicious food that was cooked on the grill in the backyard, Sanji taking over from Penguin to expertly finish off some kebabs. The distraction helped Luffy shake off some of that fog that’s been in his head but even an hour into the party and his energy started to flag.

The two doctors in their group had been watching him closely, so the moment he sagged against the counter while drinking his water, Torao cornered him.

“You done yet?” He asked, referring to his ability to carry on with the party. His thumb ran over the scar on his cheek, just below the dark purple bruise splotched over his face. “Nobody will be offended if you want to sleep, the party can continue tomorrow. You’re starting to look like a panda with these bags under your eyes - or is this another impression of me?”

Snickering, Luffy stuck his tongue out at Law to show his stubbornness against that idea. The gap where he was missing a tooth made an interesting hole for his tongue to fit through and Law looked unimpressed. “Everyone’s having fun though.”

“Stupid monkey,” He insulted, tone soft and affectionate. “Go brush and get ready to sleep at least, ok? That way I can just leave you wherever you fall.”

That was a good enough compromise so Luffy agreed. He’d brush his teeth, get into the most comfortable pajamas he owned and then come back down to play a video game with Shachi and Ace. He was surprised at just how hard it was to go up the stairs with every muscle protesting but it was only because he moved so slow that he was able to overhear the conversation in the loft.

“Why do you think I would suddenly want the worst for you?” Zoro’s voice demanded. Luffy froze on the third stair, ducking down a little more to hide. He couldn’t see where his friend was, but he didn’t think this was a conversation he should interrupt. “You think I’d break if you went on a date with a girl you liked?”

“No.” Sanji snapped.

“Then what is the issue here? You told me you didn’t want us to date, and I respect that. I’m just trying to fall back to being friends but is that impossible? Did I fuck everything up because I asked for more?”

“No, Zoro, stop. I just, I know I hurt you. I’m sorry.”

“Yes, you rejected me Sanji, but you’re more torn up about that than I am.”

“Well, I wasn’t expecting you to tell me you loved me! We both agreed a relationship would be horrible between us. We both _agreed_.”

“Yeah. Yeah, we did. I’m sorry my feelings got in the way of that.” Zoro sounded sincere. There was a muffled sob that sounded like Sanji was trying to cover it up. “I know it’s a bad idea, we fight a lot, have little in common. It’s not a relationship built on candlelight dinners and romantic walks. That’s what you want. You need someone who can give you that. I understand. Sanji, it _hurts_ but I’m not _angry_ at you. You really think I’m the kind of guy who would pull the whole _if I can’t have you, nobody will_ bullshit? I love you, Sanji. Regardless if you return my feelings or not.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Stop fucking apologizing. Just say what you mean. Are we still friends?”

“Can... is that okay?”

“You tell me, Sanji.”

There was a long moment before Luffy could barely hear a whispered reply. “No.”

Luffy’s heart dropped and he could only imagine how Zoro felt as he returned with a pained kind of sound. “O-okay.” His words were rough but strong. “That’s fine too. I… I’ll stay away. It may be awkward when Luffy invites us all together but -”

“I want to try.”

“What?”

“I want to date you. If - if you still want that. Pudding…” Sanji sighed. “Pudding was this perfect girl I always dreamed of having. It was nice, even if it was fake. But I couldn’t help but think; Zoro would have tipped the servers at the diner, Zoro would have argued when I wanted to buy something stupid, Zoro would have stood in the rain with me because we _both_ forgot our umbrellas.”

Sanji sniffled and Luffy couldn’t tell what was going on, but a light smacking sound made him think they were kissing. “Pudding was delicate and needed to be cared for, and as fun and sweet as it was, it’s not all that I needed. You’ve always been there Zoro, I was scared of how much you meant to me and I was scared of losing you. I don’t know if that’s love but I do know that I could never label you as just a friend.”

“Then, we’re back to where we were?”

“Did you have a problem with how we were before?”

“I don’t know…”

“Well, think about it. Text it to me. I’ve been told it’s easier to communicate that way. We can’t yell at each other over texts.” Zoro laughed at that.

Luffy was getting extremely uncomfortable perched on the stairs so he knocked his knuckles against the wall just to make noise as he climbed the rest of them. Zoro and Sanji had scrambled up from the couch by the pool table, looking embarrassed. Luffy just grinned as he passed by, deciding not to mention that he heard anything.

He thought he’d last longer but he was really pushing it after getting comfortable, he returned to the living room to see most of his friends playing a card game on the coffee table or had a controller to play on the TV screen. Torao was sitting on the corner of the couch, a handful of cards hidden from Ace who was sneakily trying to glance at them. “You have a three, I know you do!”

“I do not, Ace-ya. I’d give it to you if I did.”

“Liar.”

“This isn’t poker, there’s no need to lie.”

The fighter inserted himself between them, crawling over the couch and Law’s lap to settle against the arm of it, curled up into Torao’s chest at just the right height to bury his face into the doctor’s shoulder. Arms wrapped around him in return and Luffy made a contented noise, melting into the warmth.

“Oi! No PDA, Luffy!”

“What’s PDA mean?” He asked without moving.

“It means I don’t want to see my little brother getting groped in front of my eyes!”

“Close them then,” Law snarked back.

“I’m gonna deck you until your black eyes match.”

Giggling at their sort of aggressive but touching banter, Luffy lifted his head just enough to say, “Leave me alone guys, I have a construction.”

“Concussion,” Torao corrected.

“That’s what I said.”

“Sure.”

“By the way, Ace, I don’t see any threes, but he has a lot of sevens.”

“Traitor,” Torao muttered. Luffy was already slipping off to dream.

* * *

Law was surprised to know that Luffy wasn’t all that heavy. He was shorter, packed with muscle, definitely not a child in size or weight, but it wasn’t all that hard to carry the fighter up to the bedroom.

It was better this way, as he really didn’t want to disturb his boyfriend’s sleep, not after watching him try so hard to stay awake for his friends. Eventually, they all saw how exhausted he was when he fell asleep on Law’s lap. They didn’t need any convincing to cut off the festivities and go home.

The house was dark and silent as he laid Luffy down gently, careful with his arm still in a sling. His eyes watched for the soft rise and fall of his chest, the whisper of breath as Luffy snored; the man was restless in sleep, fingers twitching as he dreamed, body tossing and turning into all sorts of positions through the night. Often enough Law would wake up with Luffy’s head hanging perpendicular across his chest, arm wrapped around his arm, drool wasn’t all that uncommon either.

He looked so cute though. Dark eyelashes, mussed up hair, chest on display. Luffy had a fascination with his tattoos but Law couldn’t help but admire the fighter’s defined physique either. The way sweat would roll down from his collarbone, the sharp V shape of his adonis belt that loose shorts hid just enough to tease. He loved the way Luffy’s muscles rolled as he moved, his shoulders and back were particularly of interest and when he displayed the strength within, Law couldn’t help but hold his breath and stare.

Luffy was all power and determination, agile and ferocious - but also loving and gentle, warm and safe.

Law moved slowly, trying not to disturb the man too much when he crawled onto the bed and shifted closer to feel his body heat. The injured arm was beside Law, so he tried not to get near enough to put any pressure on it, but he tentatively curled around the man. One hand supported his head so he could continue to look, the other brushed softly against Luffy’s cheek.

The bruises looked so much darker now, and Law was afraid to touch too hard or even lay his arm over the fighter’s chest in an approximation of an embrace in case he hurt the other’s ribs or arm. He couldn’t _not_ touch him though; he spent three weeks starved of this man, the bags under his eyes had grown pretty big as well with all the sleepless nights.

The want in his chest was held back with fear and his hand shook, fingertips tracing Luffy’s nose and forehead, his eyes stung with tears. Bending forward just a little more, he brushed his forehead against the side of Luffy’s, smelling the cheap hotel shampoo he used mixed with sweat and the scent of outdoors. He sighed, closing his eyes and trying to relax enough to sleep.

“Torao?”

He jerked in surprise. “Sorry, did I wake you up?” He pulled back, concerned that he hurt him in some way.

“Nah. You ok?”

“Yeah.”

“Are you crying?”

“It’s fine, Luffy.” He kept his eyes down, hoping the man would stay still and go back to sleep; he needed the rest.

“Then why are you crying?” Despite how sleepy Luffy sounded, it was a question that wouldn’t be ignored.

“I just… it’s nothing. I got scared.”

“Nightmare?”

“Sort of.”

“Want to talk about it?”

Law huffed, face falling back into the black tresses below. “I was sitting on a couch, alone, watching my boyfriend get hurt thousands of miles away from me on TV.”

A long silence afterward gave him a sense of guilt for saying it as he did. Especially when Luffy just goes “Oh,” like he was only now realizing how hard it must have been for Law.

Knowing that he needed to fix it before Luffy felt bad, Law continued. “I’m proud of you. You went through all of that and won, that’s amazing. I know how much it meant to you. Can’t I be upset though? That you come home like this?”

“Yeah. I get it.” Luffy nodded. “I’m sorry.”

“Just don’t forget, you can’t keep your promise to me if you die.”

Luffy smiled softly, turning his head enough to show the expression to Law. “I know. I was reckless and kinda stupid.”

“Hm,” Law leaned in to kiss the tip of Luffy’s nose. “You weren’t reckless for nothing though. You saved people... as you always do.”

The small smile turned into a grin. “If I’m a hero, I should get a kiss,” The fighter demanded, and Law snorted at the childish tone. Still, he obeyed, kissing the man’s grin right off his face with a long drawl of his lips, just enough pressure to show how much Law cherished him, with a swipe of his thumb along Luffy’s cheek as they parted. Centimeters away, he felt Luffy’s lips move and breath on his face as he said, “Again.”

Dark eyes stared at Law with an intensity that was unexpected, and Law looked at the man with a more assessing eye. Although Luffy still looked pale and tired, his eyes were bright and alive with emotion, and that roguish grin looked mischievous as the doctor came back for another kiss. A quick peck this time that was barely over before another whispered demand followed. Law tilted to place the next one on Luffy’s cheek, then his jaw.

“Here?” He asked with a smirk, placing quick fluttering kisses on Luffy’s neck that made him giggle. The fighter pulled at him with his right arm, tugging him closer until Law had to rearrange himself to hover over him. Part of his body had been dragged over the arm in the sling but it was only Law who whined at the action. “Careful.”

“Shut up, Dr. Torao. Kiss me.”

“You’re the worst kind of patient.” But his lips covered Luffy’s in a deeper caress, tasting mint from the toothpaste and something metallic behind it, probably from the missing tooth. With one hand, he soothed his way up Luffy’s side with his palm, trying to feel as much skin as possible. He left Luffy’s plump lips to kiss his collarbone, the little dip that always collected sweat when Luffy ran down the trails. He felt the corded muscles of Luffy’s neck as he turned his head to the side, giving more space for Law’s lips to travel to his right shoulder.

“Y-you’re good at that.”

“Kissing?”

“I just really like it.” Luffy hummed, grinning as Law returned to place a louder smack on Luffy’s chin. Perhaps, because this was only the second time Luffy had alluded to wanting something a little more sexual, or maybe because last time Law didn’t get to see Luffy receive any pleasure, but now as Luffy offered more of his skin to touch, Law felt the hot desire in his abdomen tell him to relish in it.

“Where do you want me to kiss then?” His palm on Luffy’s side was hot, it traveled up and down before sliding behind Luffy’s back to drag up his spine. He pulled in so their bodies could align, the fighter’s back arched just enough to meet Law’s mouth as he kissed the sternum, right over the heart.

Luffy shivered at his touch and gave a surprised squeak of pleasure when Law dragged his lips over his nipple, barely brushing it to kiss over the pectoral muscle. “Anywhere. Everywhere.”

Law’s smile widened. “Everywhere?”

Even with a blush so red it could be seen in the dark, Luffy looked at him with the same fire that burned during his fights; the one that suggested he would fearlessly and unconditionally _take_ what he wanted. Be that desire victory, title, fame, riches, or _Law_.

Beaten, bruised, but never broken, his determination and will was unshakable and the things it did to Law, having those eyes on him, being the sole focus of such attention. Without thinking, Law had lowered his body to feel Luffy’s beneath him, overwhelmed by the feeling of skin contact and the heat the fighter generated. That heat stirred in his belly as well, radiating from his core and spiking when Law felt Luffy’s erection through his pajama pants.

In all his experience, Law has never been so fixated, so full of desire to simply please his partner. With their eyes locked on one another, Law used his weight to strategically place pressure there and waited to see how Luffy would answer his question.

“Everywhere, Torao.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Nice to get the time to write in between the chaos, maybe I can update more and finish the fic soon. Only a few more chapters to go, but I have plenty of little stories I think I might post as little episodes. So many details I want to explore with Cora and Kuzan, and the heart crew! Too many characters to include! 
> 
> I live alone with 2 cats and I'm working from home, I've always been introverted and liked staying inside but this is a bit much. There's no barrier between work and home life now, and I haven't closely talked to/touched anyone in 2 weeks. I'm in the mood to cuddle someone! I need a Luffy in my life!
> 
> Anyway, I truly hope all of you and your families are safe!


	25. Twilight - Chapter 25

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Has Kaido made a move?

“You’re lagging, keep your leg high.”

Luffy huffed, spinning around and bringing his leg out in an arc, higher this time, and striked the heavy sandbag with his heel. It made a loud _pow_ and gave way under the force of his kick, but it was held in place by thick muscled arms, unable to swing away from the impact.

“Again. Same place.”

Luffy barely got his feet fully under him, establishing balance, then he twisted again. Before he even completed a full rotation he knew he didn’t get enough momentum to have the same power. His heel hit the heavy bag lower than last time, the sound of it weaker than before too. Still, Zoro grunted with the force, jerked to keep the bag steady, but his face showed that he was unimpressed.

“Let's take time.”

Luffy didn’t complain, he knew he needed a break. He went to his water bottle to rehydrate himself; sweat soaked his clothing and he wiped his face with a towel to keep the salt from stinging his eyes. From the side of his sight, he saw Usopp taking down his tripod with a camera on it. The man was carefully putting away his equipment, happy to have gotten a few clips of athletic prowess at its best.

“Hey, Usopp!” He grinned, coming up with an idea. “Let’s do something for the channel!”

“Sure! What did you have in mind?”

“We cou-”

“Hey!”

He was interrupted with such a loud and angry shout that echoed through the gymnasium. Luffy turned around along with everyone else, because it was unknown who the call was directed to. A large man with tattoos and blonde hair in a ponytail - he looked familiar.

“Jack,” Usopp whispered.

Oh yeah! That guy! How could he forget?

He was stomping their way. Usopp squeaked in fright. “Who, me?” Luffy asked.

“Yes you, faggot,” He slurred. Usopp squeaked again and the other guests at the gym paused, the insult loud enough that nobody had mistaken the word. “I want a rematch! Right now!”

Luffy took another drink from his bottle, eyes calmly assessing the threatening posture. “Why?”

“Because there’s no way you’re stronger than me, I demand a rematch.”

He already looked like he’d been through a fight, his eyes were bloodshot and he was panting like he’d run miles before this, soaked in sweat. Now that he was stopped before Luffy, the man could see his hands shaking. “No.” Luffy stated. As if that was the end of the discussion.

“Scared?” He sneered, blue eyes flashing in anger and something else, like madness.

It didn’t seem to change Luffy’s mind though. He had nothing to prove to this man anymore, and the spouting of threats weren’t anything new. “I already beat you,” He said.

“I’m stronger now!”

“Dude, it’s been like, four months. Just try again in a year or two if you want to take your spot in the ranks back.”

Jack’s hand swun out to snatch the water bottle from Luffy’s hand, flinging it away and stepping even closer, shaking with rage. “I don’t give a shit about my spot, I know I’m stronger than you and I’m going to prove it, right now.”

Dark brown eyes narrowed, anger coming to the surface. “Give it up. We’re not even in the ring and you don-”

“I don’t need a fucking ring!” He yelled. He seemed to have lost control and just took a swing. It was something Luffy was ready for, so he dodged fairly easily, but the surprise was genuine. “I’ll beat you so fucking bad you won’t even think about fighting again. Bitches like you shouldn’t even be allowed to fight!”

“What the fuck?”

The man lunged for him again and Luffy skipped back, stumbling among the equipment to put distance between them. There were weights and a lifting bench between them, and Jack stooped to pick up a ten-pound bell. Luffy had a split second to duck, the weight flying over where his head had been to smash into a mirror on the wall.

A few of the gym members started to yell. Luffy looked up just in time to see another weight being thrown at him. He threw himself to the left, which is exactly where Jack wanted him to be. A fist curled into Luffy’s shirt, pulling him and keeping him still while Jack’s other fist went right into his cheek.

His vision whited out for an instant, a familiar reaction to taking a hard hit.

There was a ringing in his ears and he felt like he was floating.

He was hit again, but he hardly felt that one, with the way his head was in the clouds. There was an instinct inside of him that took over though. His arms and legs moved, defending himself even though he couldn’t see or understand what was happening. He twisted, the shirt tearing, his fist buried into his opponent’s unprotected abdomen and he heard a wheeze.

He breathed, struggled, lashed out, he kicked and got distance between them. Enough of a moment to come back to reality, to see Jack and be present of his surroundings once more. He spit out blood and smiled through the pain in his jaw.

“Come on,” Jack screamed. He sounded so sure of himself and yet his body had curled slightly, Luffy’s kick must have hurt. “Show me what you can do and I’ll do it better! I’m faster, stronger, smarter - you’re nothing. Nobody is anything now. It’s only me. I’m the new weapon!”

The words made no sense, and Luffy noticed the guy wasn’t even looking at Luffy fully. This entire thing was insane; being attacked for revenge? All the rules of a fair fight being ignored? The man’s behavior was passed comprehension. “Something isn’t right. Stop, Jack.”

As if he was reacting more to his voice than anything, Jack swung at him, and Luffy countered with a quick block and counter punch. Jack didn’t even seem to be able to block or dodge it. His head followed the blow to his chin, sending him crashing to the floor.

Luffy backed away again but the man didn’t move. He looked over to Usopp. “Call the police.”

When he glanced back, Zoro hovered over Jack, checking for a pulse. Luffy dared to approach a little closer. “Jack?”

The body twitched and both Luffy and Zoro sprung back, anticipating an attack.

However, it wasn’t an attack. Jack began to jerk on the floor, making small gasping sounds and shaking uncontrollably, muscles locked up.

Luffy had never seen a seizure before. It was horrifying. He was scared. What did he do? Hold the person down, turn them over, stay away? Was he choking? Was he dying?

He was close enough to notice Jack’s eyes roll into the back of his head, drool pooling under him. It was right out of a horror movie and Luffy could only think; did I do that?

* * *

  
  


> _EXTERNAL TRIAGE - YELLOW_
> 
> _Assault_
> 
> _Adult_
> 
> _ETA: 10:20 PM_

The team was on standby, preparing for the arrival of a patient via ambulance. There was always a tension in the air before an emergency response, no matter the amount of experience one had, these were always high pressure situations that foreshadowed life or death for the people they treated. A color code of yellow meant that the patient’s injuries weren’t immediately fatal, but the exact details of injury weren’t clear, and Penguin had been in contact with the transportation team to determine the severity. They just didn’t know without imagery assistance, which led Law to prepare himself for internal complications.

He also assumed that, given the time of night and the fact that it was a Friday, recreational influences could be involved. If not, perhaps a domestic dispute. Something to that effect, he’s seen it all before and so many of these cases were strikingly familiar to each other. Identification said the patient was male, middle aged, in otherwise healthy constitution but was unresponsive.

Law watched the ambulance pull up, park quickly, and begin to unload its cargo. The back door opened and Law stayed at an appropriate distance to make room for the stretcher.

Then Luffy jumped out of the ambulance and Law almost had a heart attack.

The asshole gave him a quick grin, amused at the shocked look on his boyfriend’s face as well as the way Law stumbled, putting his hand on his chest like he could hold his suddenly rampantly beating heart in place. A bit dramatic, but Law felt he should be forgiven for his reaction, even as he scowled and gave a pinch to Luffy’s grinning cheek.

However funny it was to Luffy, the joy on his face was wiped out quickly as the emergency team followed the fighter out with the gurney. “Torao,” Luffy said, in a strange tone that Law didn’t like; vulnerable and scared. “I _swear_ , I didn’t meant to - I barely did anything, he just - and I -”

The stretcher rolled passed, and Law caught a glimpse of the man’s face.

Jack.

Pale and gaunt, wearing a neck brace. _What the fuck…_

“He came to the gym and wanted a rematch,” Luffy started talking fast, explaining what happened with frantic motions. “He didn’t look good and I said no, but he was angry and he was yelling and he threw a punch so we started - but I tried to stop, we weren’t even in the ring and there were people in the way, but I only hit him a little, I wasn’t trying to hurt him, I was trying…”

Assault, the report said. And from looking at the man, it sure looked like it.

But he knew Luffy. Never, no matter how angry or in-the-moment he was during his fights, would he cross the line. Fighting was his passion, his thrill, but he didn’t do it for the violence and as brash and rough as he was, he didn’t unnecessarily fight outside of the ring either. No. Something else was going on here.

Law’s quick assessment of the man on the stretcher wasn’t enough to gather all the clues and he needed to follow the patient to administer treatment. He took a moment for Luffy though, wrapping an arm around the fighters shoulder’s and embracing him, cutting off his tirade. “I believe you,” Law told him. “It’s ok, I’ll figure out what’s wrong.”

“He fell down and started to shake,” The shorter man mumbled into Law’s chest. “I didn’t punch him that hard. I don’t know… I don’t know what happened.”

Law pulled back to look into the man’s deep brown eyes that were misty with tears. “Bepo should be at the front desk. Go find him and wait for me there. I’ll deal with Jack and we’ll figure it out.”

Although Luffy still looked shook, he seemed to snap back into gear, nodding decisively. “Ok, Torao.”

So Law turned to go, catching up to the stretcher as it turned down the corridor. But before following the team into the trauma room, he retrieved his phone from his white coat pocket, quickly dialing the number he had memorized not long ago.

Law was an excellent doctor, but even he wasn’t all powerful. A brain hemorrhage was the first thing he noticed, but before he could work on that issue, two more came up. His kidneys were failing, his lungs just stopped working. He had Penguin working on resuscitation but then the whole body started to seize.

Minutes passed without oxygen to the brain, but Law still tried to save him. Minutes after that, and his hands finally slowed, the body in front of him had given up. He had to admit to himself and the rest of his crew that they’d failed. Slumped against the operating table, hovering over the still body, Law gritted his teeth.

Losing a patient hurt, even if it was someone he disliked, Law was a doctor who took the oath seriously; he tried his hardest to keep this man alive but the body fought him every step of the way.

What was worse, was the knowledge that this was no blunt force trauma. No _punch_ did this; the bruises were superficial. This man had bloodshot eyes, bleeding gums, discolored vomit, and the bleeding in his brain coupled with the seizures?

Like fucking hell a punch did this.

He took his protective gear off with jerky movements, washing his hands with a snarl. “Shachi, I want an autopsy. Have Jean Bart send security too, I don’t want anyone touching the body until someone gets down here to inspect him.”

He leaves the room feeling a mixture of outrage and concern, wishing he could avoid the conversation he was about to have, but Luffy had been waiting about two hours, long enough for him to work himself up into a panic. Thankfully, Bepo had been there, as was Zoro and Usopp who had been at the scene but arrived separately from the ambulance. They had taken up the staff lounge, away from the public and safe with the crew watching over them.

Everyone looked up with varying degrees of expectation, but Luffy was the first to flinch in understanding at the expression on Law’s face. “He’s dead…”

Zoro growled. “I was there, I can tell you, Luffy didn’t do anything!”

“No, Luffy didn’t do anything,” Law agreed. “This was something else.”

“Was he on something?” Usopp asked, tone shrill.

“We don’t know yet.”

“We have to do damage control. This happens just before Luffy’s fight? It’s too coincidental! If he gets charged with assault, he’ll be disqualified!”

“That was my thought too.”

Luffy made an indignant noise of protest. “I didn’t…”

“I’ve already called Baby,” Law said, hand coming up to sooth Luffy’s hair; the man’s tormented expression made him want to enfold him in a protective embrace, but there was a fire building inside that Law wanted to stoke instead. Luffy couldn’t lose hope now, he needed to see that determination to win again. “Jack worked with Kaido and Doflamingo, as soon as I knew that, I was prepared to use any connections from the family I could. If the gym has video surveillance, she’ll get it. If there are witnesses, she’ll make sure they testify the truth. If we get the first word out to the press, we’ll be able to set the perception. Hopefully, we’ve moved fast enough to counter whatever they have planned.”

Usopp and Zoro stared at him in stunned silence, Luffy was slowly coming to a smile. “You’re so smart, Torao.”

“Someone has to be,” He smirked back. “Don’t worry, whatever their game is, it won’t work.”

“Thanks, Torao.”

* * *

Law didn't even pause when he saw Luffy leaning against the counter by the sink, eating breakfast. He had wondered what the man was doing awake so early, but he was wearing his gym shorts and an open shirt, showing signs of an early workout. Law looked a bit longer than necessary at the sweat on his chest, but he was not as much of a morning person as Luffy was; upon just waking up there was only one thing on his mind: coffee. Skirting passed Luffy to the other side of the sink, he opened the cabinet above for his travel tumbler. He set the machine up to begin brewing and finally looked back to a strangely quiet Luffy.

The fighter’s moods have gone back and forth lately, which is understandable. Luffy had been so concerned about Jack’s death, and even if he understood that there was nothing he’d done to kill him, the sight of the man going down after taking a few hits, scared him.

Handling this in the best way Luffy knew how, he took his frustrations out on his own body; training all the harder, disciplining himself to waking up early to jog, taking longer, harder routes at the trails and gym.

Law let him be, encouraging the determined fervor, but watching him closely for signs of overdoing it. Whatever this morning jog has turned into for Luffy, the man was clearly exhausted from it. The doctor wanted to comment on this; joke about it _only being nine am_ , but then he noticed something...

"Why are you eating cereal out of a coffee mug?"

Luffy took a big spoonful of the crunchy, colorful, and likely full of sugar mess and grinned. "Glad you asked Torao!" He said boisterously, and Law almost winced, regretting the start of this conversation before his coffee was done. "For one, it's a good size, it's as big as a bowl really, just taller, not wider. Two," He listed. "It has a handle, which is an amazing idea ‘cause I didn't want to sit at the table." Law folded his arms, suffering his boyfriend's dramatics silently. "And three," Luffy flourished like it was the grand prize. "All the other bowls were dirty."

The taller man was not impressed, and he knew he was going to continue to regret it when he dryly asked exactly what Luffy expected him to ask. "It didn't occur to you to wash them?"

"It did," He replied. "I didn't want to." He took another bite of his cereal like there was not a care in the world.

Law was predictably irritated. "I'm not cleaning up after you, Luffy-ya."

Straw-hat held up a hand for peace, which only irritated Law further. "I'll do the laundry, how about that?"

"What?"

"You hate doing the laundry! I hate doing dishes. This is what couples do right? Split the chores? I'll mow the lawn, you cook dinner?"

"I'm the one who does that anyway because if I left it to you, there would be nothing else but meat for breakfast, lunch, and dinner," Law sighed, vaguely hearing Luffy mumble ‘what's wrong with that’ and shot him a glare.

He could understand the point, Luffy sucked at doing the dishes anyway - however that was possible when dishwashers existed. But he was down two cups and missing silverware and they basically never put away the clean dishes where they were supposed to go.

"Also," He growled and snatched a towel from the counter to whack Luffy with. "We don't mow the lawn, asshole!"

Being in the community he was, he paid for services like that. Luffy's laughter was bright and cheerful. "Bad example! Bad example!" he fended the towel away with one arm, holding his cup of cereal out of the line of fire. “You don’t even _own_ a lawnmower,” He snickered. “Such a city-boy.”

Huffing, he tossed the towel softly up into Luffy's face and turned to his coffee that was done brewing. He added a bit of creamer and put the lid on, realizing too late that he was smiling. "You're ridiculous. I'm afraid the only cure for your stupidity is a lobotomy."

"What's that?" Luffy put his mug of disgusting cereal down and slid his body across the counter making room for himself between Law and the granite. He was close enough that he didn't need to reach in order to place a kiss at Law's cheek, which was sweet, but the big grin on his face told Law that it was more of a ploy. Cute little bastard.

"Keep pushing and you'll find out."

"That only makes me want to push more."

Snorting, Law put a palm over Luffy's face, covering the smug grin and pushing him to the side so he can enjoy his coffee. "Just think; if you won't eat your vegetables, I'll turn you into one."

"Oh," Luffy dragged out as he got the joke. "Hey!”

Just after he said that and over the sound of Luffy's squawk of outrage, their doorbell rang. Law groaned, knowing that the peace of the morning was about to be ruined.

Neither of them have been having quiet opportunities like this lately; if it wasn’t Law’s parasomnia then it was work keeping him awake. Even Luffy has elected to let him sleep in when he has the chance, even though Law offered to still keep him company on his morning jog. It was strange to be the last to wake up in their bed and Law didn’t like missing out on the sleepy affection Luffy gave.

Similarly, their evening routine has changed too. Late classes at the gym four days a week, rigorous training and one-on-one sessions with Zoro that pushed his limits. The younger man was quick to fall asleep after all his exercise.

Then there were… other issues that have come up lately. Ever since Luffy’s win things have gotten extremely hectic, to say the least, and the altercation with Jack made it even more so.

First off, Luffy’s media attention had skyrocketed. Everyone wanted a scoop, from fans to journalists to bloggers. Some exaggerated Jack’s death and called for Luffy to be charged for murder, others were determined to stand up for him and call out the crooked system in the MMA. People were begging for interviews, snapping pictures of him, borderline stalking the fighter - and by proxy, Law.

It blew up in their faces, but it could have been worse. His quick thinking put things in motion that helped combat the more serious case of assault Luffy could have been charged with. The gym did indeed have cameras that caught the scene on film and witness accounts lined up to further narrate the crazed man attempting to get revenge.

The charges were dropped and the man’s death was documented as unrelated to the dispute. An autopsy was still being done though, and Law wasn’t the only one watching for the results.

Until then, the speculation was a mystery that the entire world seemed to ponder.

The doctor was used to a certain amount of attention. People knew his name, his skills, his track record of how many people he’s saved versus how many he couldn’t, and then compared that with other doctors like it was a game. He received calls asking for him to take on specific cases or referrals from elsewhere. People pleaded for him to attend their seminars or lectures, knowing that his guest appearance would guarantee a political advantage.

Sometimes these people got a little carried away and showed up at his work or approached him when he was having a diner with friends or family. It was inappropriate and Law conveyed, through obscene gestures and phrases, that he would not stand for that kind of behavior. Even if it burned bridges with other influential figures, the world of medicine and all of its inhabitants understood that Law was a man who couldn’t be swayed by social/economic gain.

At least their intentions were mostly professional in nature. A few journalists a year would mention his bachelor status, the fact that he owned a fairly common car and humble-sized home that didn’t cost a fortune despite the money he made, or the charitable donations he contributed to. Gossip was everywhere, it was unavoidable and people were stupid. Law couldn’t bring himself to care about their blathering introspections of his personal life.

Now though, his morals were being called into question. _He_ was the one to treat Jack, and the man’s death seemed suspicious to some. After all, he was personally tied to the suspect in question.

It started with fanmail.

Well, it actually started with that kiss on stage after Jack’s defeat.

Of course, it would have gotten caught on camera, it was the center of all the attention. It didn’t really matter back then; Law wasn’t afraid of ‘coming out’ since he never made an attempt to hide it in the first place, and he wasn’t ashamed to be Luffy’s boyfriend. It’s also not like they did anything dirty, the kiss was fairly innocent and cut short seeing as Luffy couldn’t breathe at the time.

The problem came afterward. Luffy had a lot of fans, a base that only grew after his fight with Katakuri and now they had enemies too. Suddenly, it seemed like everyone, everywhere was curious about the rising star. They wanted to know where he came from, how he got into the sport, how long he trained, what he did when he wasn’t training, if his friends and family supported him, if he was single.

Obviously, it didn’t take them long to find the answer to the last question, or to identify the man Luffy had kissed either. That made Law a target as well.

The fanmail to Luffy started arriving at their house. It had always gone to a PO box before, and Sabo or Ace collected it when Luffy couldn’t. Usually, it was nothing the man couldn’t handle - hell, he got more mail from his online video subscribers than anyone watching him fight.

Through Law, they found their home address, and mail came pouring in. It was concerning at first, but Luffy had been ecstatic to receive so many words of encouragement, so Law tentatively held his protest. It only got more ridiculous though.

_You’re going out with a doctor? No wonder you have the money to make this your career._

_You’re BF’s hot! I’d be gay for him too._

_Murderers!_

_OMG NO, Luffy marry me instead! I love you!_

_Could I get you and your boyfriend to autograph this picture of you kissing?_

It was so sudden and overwhelming, and Law was such a private kind of person that even his normal indifference to this matter was shaken. It was borderline harassment. So they were stressed most of the time, tense and waiting for the next move.

Maybe Law needed to get them out of town for a vacation. He knows a couple places Luffy would love to see. He’d have to convince the man first though, and he looked at that young face with the scar under his eye and dirt on his nose, a leaf in his hair and stains on the knees of his pants.

Despite his fighter’s attention being directed to the door where a guest waited, Law stepped into his space again to feel his warmth. The playful banter from before was gone and he clutched at the open jacket Luffy wore to pull him into a soft hug.

His body radiated heat from the exercise and Law melted into the returning hold. This was what he missed in the mornings without Luffy there to wake up to; the fighter’s easy petting along the small of his back, the unfaltering heartbeat under his ear, the rise and fall of Luffy’s breathing luling him into a peace. It was the best way to wake up and Law’s outlook on the day ahead brightened. Luffy smelled of the outdoors. His neck where Law put his lips in a kiss, tasted of salt. “Let’s cancel the day and go back to bed.”

Luffy laughed, squirming against the ticklish ministrations, his arm around Law’s waist pulling him closer. “I’d say yes, but then you’ll have to explain why to Sabo.”

“... _That’s_ who is at the door right now?”

“Yep! He messaged me to say he was coming over, ‘said not to go to the gym yet. And he asked when you needed to be at work too.”

Talking to both Luffy and Law? Together? Law sighed, letting go of Luffy’s jacket and straightening. Might as well push away any thoughts of cocooning themselves in blankets with or without clothes on…

The doorbell rang cheerily again.

“Fine, be there in two minutes, I’ll need this coffee.”

Luffy laughed, reaching up to ruffle Law’s hair playfully, before running out of the kitchen, somehow full of energy again.

Things had been much better between Law and Luffy’s brothers, Law was glad to have gotten their approval and there have been conversations that were actually enjoyable. Law knows he hasn’t met everyone Luffy considered family, like Garp or Shanks - terrifying thought - but Law thinks it won’t be too much longer. The holidays had been brought up once already…

Their families were small and eclectic but Luffy loved to spend time with Cora so Law put effort into doing the same with his brothers. They weren't openly hostile anymore, so things were actually going smoothly. In fact, Law would think Ace actually liked him! At least, enough for his threats and insults to be mostly an exaggerated joke. A joke Law didn't mind playing along with.

Sabo though... Law couldn't tell. The blonde seemed to have accepted him; treated him with respect, spoke to him civilly, tried to get to know him. It usually came down to small-talk but Law appreciated that a lot more than awkward avoidance. With Luffy and Ace around, they didn't have a problem communicating, but without there wasn't much to say between the two.

It looked like it was just Sabo today, dressed in sharp business clothing and holding his briefcase in his hand. Law figured the man was here for more than just a social call but he was happy to see his brother all the same. The younger man was picked up in a big hug, giggling like he was a kid. When Law came to greet him as well, the smile was still a sincere one, which relaxed him a bit.

“I’m here for you actually,” Sabo said. “I would like your assistance with something. Can we go to your study?”

Law nodded, leading them to the upstairs den area that mostly consisted of bookshelves with a desk and sofa. “I’m assuming this has to do with Jack?”

"In part..."

Luffy frowned, a common occurrence with every mention of the man. “Are they still saying it was my fault?”

Sabo comforted him with a smile, arm wrapping around the man’s shoulders in a side-hug. “It _wasn’t_ your fault. Don’t worry, Luffy. all the evidence points away from you too. We got the autopsy report back and one thing is for sure; he didn’t die of blunt force trauma.”

Law thought about any other possibilities and what Sabo would want his input on. It bothered him, and he’d tried to research and connect the dots, but Law couldn’t make out the cause for Jack’s body breaking down as it had. There were no similar cases Law came across in his experience or studies.

Obviously, when Sabo found out about the attempted framing against his little brother, he was not happy, but his reaction to it calmed when he realized what Law had done. There was appreciation for the doctor’s quick thinking and he certainly benefited from the slightly underhanded ways Baby Five and the family of criminals operated.

Sabo was always limited by red-tape and while he made it clear he didn’t condone the injustice, if they had waited and followed protocol, it would have been too late for Sabo to get anything under control. It also left too many variables unchecked. They had already found several individuals willing to come forth _against_ Luffy, probably coerced to do so.

Sabo had his connections too, and it was through him that they found a pathologist to conduct a thorough inspection of the dead body. Someone they could trust to not falsify data. And Jean Bart had thwarted tampering with that as well. Unauthorized access into the morgue, lying credentials to perform studies on the body, attempts at getting ahold of original documents describe time and cause of death.

They all wondered exactly what Kaido planned, if he had anything to do with this. Perhaps they didn’t expect Jack’s death? Maybe they weren’t aware of Jack’s actions against Luffy? Part of this seemed intentional, but between Law and Sabo every step they took failed - so either they fucked up or there was more to it all than this.

Sabo was back to a grim determination. "Dr. Trafalgar," He said so formally. Out of all of Luffy's family and friends, he was the only one who still called him such. "I wanted to ask your opinion on some things... I know experimental drugs and trials aren't your specialty but there are very few doctors of your caliber I could trust with confidential information like this."

Raising his brow in surprise, Law relaxed into the couch. At first he wondered if Sabo would dare to ask Law to give him access to hospital drugs, after all, it wouldn’t have been the first time someone thought to do so. Sabo certainly didn’t seem like that’s what he wanted though. "What kind of drugs? If you mean black-market dealings, I can't help you there."

"No, not something like that," Sabo assured. “It’s just, the drug that they found in Jack’s system wasn’t matching to any known narcotic or opiate. We know that he reacted to an unknown substance negatively, the report will tell you in better detail, but it’s not something the coroner recognized.”

The fact that Jack was under the influence of something that killed him was no surprise, but the mysterious nature around the exact cause was worrying. Sabo sat his case on the desk and pulled out a few papers. Luffy looked over his shoulder as Law read, but couldn’t make any sense of the lab results anyway.

Law didn’t really understand it much, to be honest.

Typical recreational drugs had a signature to them, none of which were found in the man’s system. Whatever it was, it wasn’t just neurological. “Have there been any new drugs on the streets or something?”

Sabo gave a snort. “I was here to ask you that.”

“No idea… I can try asking Baby or Dellinger…”

“What about… asking Doflamingo?”

Golden eyes snapped up to Sabo with surprise. “What? Why?”

“Because this all leads back to whatever Doflamingo and Kaido have been up to. Whatever Jack died of, _they_ are bound to know about it. Your friends weren’t in the trusted circles, they probably weren’t privy to the inner workings of what they did and I’d rather cut out the middle men.”

He had a point, but… Sabo’s branch was the service detaining Doflamingo. “Why don’t you ask him yourself?”

“We’ve tried interrogating him about his research, his intentions, his associates - he won’t talk.” Sabo scowled. “Honestly, I wish I could just beat it out of him. Instead, I’m hoping your background with him will get him to respond more favorably.”

That was a fucked up theory. It was highly unlikely to work; Doflamingo wasn’t intimidated by Law so there would be no reason other than spite or a form of twisted manipulation that his uncle would tell him anything.

But maybe that was enough... maybe he’d play his games and hurt Law with information or-

“Sabo! You can’t just ask him to see Mingo like that!” Luffy protested.

The blond cringed. “Ah, I apologize. I know Doflamingo has put you both through a lot. It was callous of me to suggest you could face him so easily.” The man leaned against the desk, looking contrite. Law’s defensive posture relaxed a touch, feeling soothed by Sabo’s sincerity and Luffy’s warmth at his back. “You can of course refuse to go yourself. I just wondered if that tactic would work, and if you would…”

Sighing, Law looked down at the sheets of conflicting data in his hands. “I thought the same, it’s alright. Are you confident that he knows something about this?”

“Not one-hundred-percent. There are three players here: Doflamingo, Kaido, and Akainu. We still don’t know how they’ve come together or what purpose this alliance held for them. But we know that each one of them endorsed Doflamingo’s laboratory; he’s a common link and we _need_ to get him talking if we want to go up against these bigger fish.”

Right, because there was no way Akainu would fall from his position unless there was undeniable evidence to his involvement. You’d think owning and running a laboratory that tortured _children_ would be enough to convict him and yet the man ran free.

Nothing would change unless Doflamingo spilled his secrets.

There were many things Law wished he didn’t understand about his uncle, but that twisted mind of his was once a shared trait. Doflamingo wouldn’t talk for just anything. No, Law would have to convince him. Somehow.

_Ha, as if he hadn’t spent years plotting against that man._ Now it’s just for another purpose.

“I’ll talk to him. Just, give me some time.”

“Call when you’re ready and I’ll take you in.”

“I’m going too,” Luffy stated. Sabo’s furrowed eyebrows showed his unhappiness, but Law couldn’t help but smile, a bit of that fear building in the back of his head faded.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone! Sorry, it's a little later than most updates. Everything is crazy but I'm doing the best I can. Mostly, I'm working from home, and I find that I don't get as much relaxation from the computer I'm writing on after I've spent 8+ hours working on the same computer, in the same spot. But that's little things to complain about; I'm lucky to have been safe and healthy so far. And I hope you all are too! <3


	26. Moonlight - Chapter 26

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Doflamingo left them alone because he understood that making an enemy of Law was like going to war against himself. And Law thinks he can finally accept that; he knew he wasn’t a good person, that he didn’t deserve the two radiant angels just behind him, but he’d do anything to keep them safe and happy.
> 
> Anything at all.

Torao stared at the light blue door in front of him for longer than necessary. From a few steps behind, Luffy shuffled restlessly. Despite how cute his boyfriend was in his indecisiveness, watching Law watch the door like it was going to bite him got a bit boring.

He tried to give him time to settle his nerves on his own; the doctor had spent the entire drive over here _planning_ the impending conversation. It was just a bit crazy, but Luffy loved his boyfriend enough to sit in quiet fascination as Law made contingency plans and thought up scenarios so detailed and outrageous that even Luffy could tell that Torao was being dramatic.

He put a case together like a lawyer, with preparations and rebuttals against every evidence or comment that could be thrown at them. That would be the makings of a great story-teller, like Usopp, if instead of telling cool adventures, it was an ever compiling list of actions they could take to arrive at the same ending.

He tried calming Torao with a positive attitude, brushing it off as nothing to be so worried about, but his comment ‘ _you're over-thinking things’_ didn't go over so well.

So Luffy let the man continue at his own pace and if that pace included staring at the door for five minutes then whatever made Torao happy...

A tattooed hand raised to knock and Luffy couldn't help but perk up, but then it hesitated. Torao's eyebrows furrowed, mouth down in a frown. Cute, Luffy thought, watching the petulant look on his boyfriend’s face, seeing how stubborn he wanted to be. It’s like he could _read_ the second thoughts in there.

But Luffy was not built to withstand this torture.

With one step closer, the fighter caught the man’s wrist in his hand and pushed it forward, knuckles coming into contact with the door weakly in three taps before Torao ripped his hand away with a glare. Luffy grinned proudly in response and pressed the doorbell - twice for good measure - taking advantage of Law’s indignant shock.

“There!”

“Fuck off.”

“You’re welcome!”

Torao wasn’t able to turn his head away in time to hide the red of his cheeks, which could have been from anger just as much as embarrassment but it was amusing nonetheless. Luffy leaned forward to see the blush better, pushing his luck and Torao’s patience, following Law as he turned to keep him away. "Quit it, you deranged monkey!"

“You’re so tense Torao,” Luffy pointed out in a light tone. “It’s your dad, don’t be scared.”

“I’m not!” Law’s snappy reply was more of a growl, and his eyes were more of an electric yellow than gold today. He stopped avoiding Luffy’s eyes to give him the full force of his glare; cold, vicious, a cornered animal ready to sink teeth into anyone stupid enough to poke at it (like Luffy).

Luffy wasn’t worried, but he didn’t want to make the man angry, quite the opposite. For a moment he thought he’d failed and only made things worse, his unsuccessful attempt at getting Law to smile caused him to droop. No longer smiling, the shorter man looked up to apologize.

Turns out, he didn’t have to. Those angry eyes melted the longer they locked gazes. The furrowed eyebrows smoothed out and the tensed shoulders drooped. Law went from being full of rage to sad and guilty. “Stop looking like a kicked puppy, Luffy-ya. I’m sorry.”

Instantly, it was like the frown was wiped away to be replaced with Luffy’s normal smile. He reached out to pull the taller man in by the waist so they could feel each other’s warmth, and Torao leaned into him.

He was wearing the yellow and black hoodie Luffy liked to steal and it reminded him of the last time he wore it; the scent of detergent and a hint of cologne, Law’s warm skin under his fingertips intercepted with black ink, the way Luffy’s name sounded when it was moaned into his ear.

He wiggled his fingers under the hoodie to splay his palm along the small of Law’s back, thumb caressing back and forth. There wasn’t anything untoward about it, Luffy just preferred the extra warmth of skin, it was a comfort to both of them. It assured Law that Luffy wasn’t disturbed by the doctor’s sour attitude, and with the way Law pushed closer to encourage the touch told Luffy he didn’t mean to direct his anger at him.

“You’re right,” Torao sighed. “I’m overthinking this.”

Before the fighter could reply (it was probably some kind of tease anyway) Law slid his arms around Luffy’s shoulders in return. Soft lips brushed his own in a quick gesture before Torao pulled back with a frown again. “I just want this to be over. People won’t leave us alone, we keep getting pulled into shit, your fight with Kaido is in _three days,_ and I’m about to ask Cora to face his brother… again.”

“It’ll be fine. If ‘Mingo tries anything, I’ll kick his ass. And I’ll win the championship by kicking Kaido’s ass, then I’ll kick Akainu’s ass. Then we’ll go on vacation.”

Torao chuckled, he pushed the straw hat off his head so fingers could run through the strands. His smile was beautiful. “Don’t need to think about it at all then. Who needs plans when you can just punch everything in your way?”

The line of lean muscles and body heat pressed against Luffy as Law took solace from their embrace brought forth another memory, the adoring stroke of those fingers familiar.

Law’s steady hands tracing reverently along his sides, carefully ensuring Luffy wasn’t hurt, and yet greedy and determined to touch as much skin as they could. The hungry kisses and searing tongue that blessed every bruise, every cut, brought forth shivers and sounds of pleasure Luffy hadn’t known before.

Closing his eyes, Luffy lost himself in that tender memory and to the motions of the fingers in his hair, light scratching of his scalp and a massage at his neck. Luffy has gained a new appreciation for Torao’s touch, maybe because he understood it’s source a bit more. Maybe because he’s delved into more intimate relations recently and now his mind is trying to make up for the lack of dirty thoughts he never had.

He keeps recalling a warm weight over him, giving him a sense of safety and love. The look of longing in Law’s eyes along with awe that he was being allowed to touch. Luffy had never been looked at like that before, much less touched, and while he’d always been a little obsessed with the doctor’s tattooed hands, the feeling of them across his skin was so different.

There was fear in the back of Luffy’s mind, a nervousness, but it wasn't _terror_ \- this was Torao, and he’d never hurt him, never do something Luffy didn’t want. And what Luffy wanted back then was to be so close to Law that the man would never think he was left behind again. He wanted to wash away the loneliness in Law and promise that he’d always be there.

How could he leave this beautiful human being who so obviously loved him so much? Law still couldn’t properly say the words but Luffy never needed those, Luffy was a man of action and here Law was touching him and looking at him with such devotion - kisses like prayers.

Torao even _asked_ and Luffy never wanted to deny him. Hell, he’d been thinking about Law’s mouth down there ever since the first time they started this. Just his imagination was enough to get him excited and Law was… enthusiastic about it. In a way Luffy never understood, blowjobs were often the butt of some dirty joke involving loving or hating it. Was it enjoyable? Why? Maybe Luffy would find out.

But then Law’s soft lips and hot mouth had wrapped around him, a grip on his hip, a hand over his heart, and Luffy had no room in his mind to think. Maybe Luffy could be a bit dramatic as well, because despite the hours of anxiety worrying about situations just as this one, it was laughably easy to let it go.

Whatever reservations he had about oral sex disappeared; how weird it was, where he put his hands, what it must have tasted like, if he showered thoroughly, what he sounded like when he couldn’t control his vocals, if anyone had heard, if he’d last longer than _ten seconds_ in that heat.

None of that mattered then, not until he was spent, coming back to awareness to realize how hard he was panting, wondering when he shut his eyes, and giggling breathlessly at the tickling kisses pressed to his stomach. Torao watched him with soft eyes, looking kind of irritatingly smug, but Luffy supposed that was deserved. He’s the first and only one Luffy would ever do this with, but for what it was worth, he thought Law was damn good at it.

Looking at the doctor now, he wondered at how much they’ve changed to allow this relationship to bloom. Law used to hate being touched, was scared to show vulnerability, afraid of such unabashed affection - like it would be used against him somehow. And not even a year ago, Luffy never would have been caught kissing someone, much less thinking inappropriate thoughts about them.

“Where should we go?” Law asked. At Luffy’s look of confusion, he elaborated. “For that vacation after you kick everyone’s ass?”

Grinning, Luffy swayed side to side, making them do a little jig. He couldn’t help the energy he had. “I don’t know! Maybe we can take Franky’s boat and sail across the ocean! It’ll be an adventure, with storms and mermaids and an undiscovered island and -”

“Nevermind. Sometimes you do need to plan.”

“No plans! Boring!”

Sound from behind the door brought them back and they watched it open to reveal the house’s resident. Taking a breath, Law disentangled himself from Luffy’s hold, straightening his spine and obviously preparing himself to speak the rehearsed lines; greeting, explanation, consultation, conclusion.

Kuzan was the one standing in the doorway, a high probability Law had accounted for - Corazon typically slept in later if given the chance. Torao had spoken about how Kuzan would be hard to convince; how determined the man was to stay neutral in all affairs, and the protective nature he had for Cora. Except, Law knew even this man would be interested in what they had to say. All Law had to do was get in the first word, the fishing hook that would catch his attention.

Torao certainly didn’t expect to have that conversation with the man mostly naked though.

The man obviously just woke up, despite it being past nine. No shirt, no pants, just bright red underwear adorned with white snowflakes. Law took a few seconds to process what he was seeing before he threw his hands up over his eyes. “Kuzan! Who the fuck answers the door like that?”

Luffy busted out laughing, going so far as to point at the man’s misshapen afro; hair pressed down in various spots from sleep, curls left to puff up in other places.

“Good morning,” The man said in a monotonous voice.

“What is wrong with you?” Torao groaned, pushing passed the marine with a noise of disgust at touching any bare skin as he shoved through. Kuzan put no effort at all from barring him and had no shame for his state of undress, though he did run his hand through his hair in an effort to put it right, looking at Luffy as the man continued to laugh at it.

Then, just as Luffy calmed, Kuzan gave a small smirk before pulling a lollipop from the depths of the curls, nonchalantly unwrapping it like it was nothing. It sent Luffy into another fit of laughter.

Cora was turning the corner to the living room, expression already joyful at hearing Law’s voice and Luffy’s laugh. His arms were already halfway up to give hugs and Torao knew his father well enough to expect it.

However, it would be more apt to say that Cora tripped and fell into all of them as he went for an enthusiastic _tackle_ and Torao actually shrieked in indignation as he was sent back into Kuzan’s side.

Cora’s long arms wrapped around all of them and squeezed. “You should have told me you were visiting! I would have gotten breakfast! Are you hungry? I’ll order something, you should eat.”

“Yes, I'm starving!” Luffy’s voice was muffled in Cora’s shoulder (which was thankfully _clothed_ ) and he pushed his face up to better breathe, but by the tone of his voice and the grin on his face, he didn’t look like he was complaining. It got Cora to release them though, rebalancing himself on those tall legs.

In contrast, with the slightest give to the hold Torao squirmed away desperately, like a cat wiggling to escape a dreaded bath or something - Kuzan the water. Luffy was able to stifle his giggle this time, but just barely, as he thought of that comparison.

“Guess I should put on pants.” Kuzan sighed, the stick of the sucker in his mouth rolling with his lips.

“Yes. Please.”

“Hey, Torao, at least he doesn’t wear spandex like Franky does!”

“I really don’t want to imagine that.”

At Cora’s insistence, they gathered in the dining room. Law gave Luffy a small smile at the way he jumped up and down at the prospect of food - even though they had eaten something this morning already. The doctor refused to order anything himself, stating he wasn’t hungry, but unlike Luffy, the man had only a single apple on their way out the door. He was always a picky eater and it was even more difficult to get the man to eat when he was stressed. Although Luffy ordered enough for two, he chose a dish with rice and egg, just in case Law did want any.

Fuck, it’s crazy that he’s even considering that. Sharing food? Definitely not something he would have willingly planned for a year ago either.

Corazon was cheerful this morning, flitting around the kitchen (a hazard, really) to make coffee and sharing stories with Luffy loudly. Between the two of them, there was a constant stream of conversation, which Torao was thankful for.

Sitting down with Kuzan didn’t feel like a battle. Torao had become far less hostile after Kuzan spilled all the secrets he’d been keeping about the fire. His respect for the marine increased with his efforts to bring an end to Doflamingo’s experiments… and for helping to save his life.

The fall out between the new husbands though… let’s say Cora hadn’t been quite so forgiving at first. He’d been lied to, forced to make a choice without understanding the ultimatums, and his son had paid the price and carried the burden for far too long.

However, all this time since the Amber Lead breakout, and it seems like they have decided to stick together. Luffy was glad for it, and he could tell that Torao was too, even if he’d never admit it. Despite how hard it was for Law to let go of grudges, he knew that Kuzan wasn’t a bad man through and through.

Having all the pieces to the puzzle helped clear the air and now it seemed much more natural to speak amongst each other. Kuzan didn’t have to hold back those dark secrets of the past anymore, and Corazon wasn’t letting himself get lost in the future; both had been blind to the present.

Their family was small, imperfect, held together with thin strings of love, trust, and hope but it was stronger now. They all worked at it, growing and adapting to change the way they were supposed to long ago, before they were afraid of what it would mean.

For example, the budding friendship between Kuzan and Law. They were back to almost, sort of, maybe joking with each other. Dry humor that only they could really understand - but it was a good thing. Whereas before, either Law or Kuzan felt like the third wheel, this time they stood on equal ground. Instead of Cora being the only bridge between them, they’ve started expanding their own bonds to each other; common interests, shared beliefs, similar hobbies.

… Law had told him that it was Luffy’s doing too, which made no sense.

_“Cora, whether he knew it or not, constantly switched his attention between us. We weren’t all engaged at the same level. With you there… you distract him. Both of you are loud and crazy and you do your own thing. We get used to each other’s company watching you, I guess.”_

_“Wait, so… You and Kuzan are getting along because we ignore you? Because you just sit in the background together like weirdos?” Luffy huffed, confused. When thinking about it like that though, he could almost see it._

Luffy could see it in their eyes; sharp and attentive, intelligent, accessing, calculating - if distant. Both of them hid behind indifference, but neither of them was cold. With Cora or Luffy’s attention, they seemed to light up from within; moments of warmth breaking the hard exterior often enough so that they never seemed inhuman and they both craved that attention.

They’ve been more like rivals all this time, thinking Cora could only choose one or the other and grudgingly trying to share to keep the man happy. Fighting each other for Cora’s love like there wasn’t enough for both of them...

After Kuzan’s past deeds were uncovered and Cora accepted him, he gained confidence. With forgiveness, Kuzan wasn’t so desperate to be the perfect husband, the protector sheltering the man from everything.

Likewise, Torao has finally come to the conclusion that Cora’s presence wouldn’t disappear. Law was and always would be Cora’s son; assured that he would never be left behind, the doctor could stop holding on so tightly. Change didn’t mean everything would end or fall apart. Change could be good - Luffy was proof of that.

It’s not like Kuzan cared about Luffy so much, but the fighter never went ignored. It was enough to help things get better, and little by little, they were.

“So, what did you want?” Kuzan asked after taking a sip of his coffee. Law had one too and they were nearly identical in the way they leaned back in their chairs. Both of them had that lazy, uncaring look to them as they enjoyed their coffee and jump-started this game of perception. Law would try to play his cards right and reveal them in the right order and Kuzan would attempt to steal the whole hand before Torao could lay them down.

Weirdos.

Cora seemed to agree from the way he rolled his eyes.

“As you know, Jack, the opponent Luffy fought with a while back, died recently. Some kind of drug was found in his system but it doesn’t match up with any known products on the market. Do you have any idea of what it could be?”

“Why would I know?”

Raising his eyebrow in a sarcastic drawl, Torao tilted his head a bit. “A bit suspicious that a fighter of Kaido’s would make such a scene. It’s gaining attention fast and there’s a good chance that people would link Kaido with Doflamingo - they were known business partners. Doflamingo’s involvement in experimental drugs would be a giant red flag for any investigation.”

“Why would that bother me? We’ve got no part to play in that.”

“Not exactly. You and Cora were the ones who brought him down and you did give a statement to the authorities.”

“Yeah, yeah. They have my name down as a whistleblower. They’ll likely come back to hound me about other projects in the making. Like you are.”

Law shrugged like he didn’t care. “I just got here first. But if you tell me what you know, I can take it from there and you won’t have to get involved.”

“Bullshit,” Kuzan muttered disbelievingly.

Cora cleared his throat loudly, gaining their attention. “Why do _you_ have to get involved, Law? You could leave it alone, no need to _investigate_ all this.”

“Luffy is fighting Kaido,” And his words were firm. “We need to know if it’s going to be a fair fight or not, of course I’m involved.”

The fighter frowned, not liking how Law had said that. “Torao, whatever Kaido is taking or not, I’m still gonna fight him. You don’t need to find the answers for my sake, it won’t matter anyway.” He knew Sabo wanted to track it down too, but that was a job his brother could do without Law, it would just be more difficult - and that’s what he has a whole team for!

However, Law still looked determined. “If Kaido is taking illegal substances to make himself stronger, then he needs to be disqualified.”

True... Luffy was lectured every term about the dangers of steroids or other added means of training. Neither Luffy nor Zoro ever considered taking supplements like that, but it was a rampant concern in a lot of MMA circles with heavy penalties from instant disqualification to banned fighters and lost titles. Rules like those were no light matter, and if Kaido was found breaking them, the fallout could be devastating.

Still, Luffy wouldn’t back down. So what if Kaido took any of those things? He was still going to lose, there was only so much drugs like that could do. If they thought stupid shit like that would help them win then he’d show them all up with honest skill and hard work. This fight for the division championship was the most challenging one yet, he _itched_ to fight Kaido.

Torao, so attuned to him by now, seemed to read Luffy’s expression and understand, huffing in fond exasperation. “You’re so stubborn,” He murmured. Then said, “People could still get hurt from this, Luffy-ya. Other fighters or contestants. I can’t leave this…”

Luffy couldn’t help but grin, a silent tease on Torao’s own obstinate nature. However, just like Law did, the fighter understood what the man meant. He was a doctor, helping people was what he did, even if the ‘patients’ were assholes who didn’t deserve it. One person had already died, there was no way Law could turn a blind eye without at least knowing the cause or source.

“Okay, then,” Luffy agreed easily. If that’s what Law wanted to do then he wasn’t going to argue; they’d do this together.

His concentration went back to the food in front of him and he tried to subtly push a bowl of rice closer to Law. If it wasn’t gone in the next ten minutes though, _you snooze, you lose._

From the other side of the table, Cora watched the two men speak with glances and simple words that seemed to carry much more depth to them. He noticed how close they sat, the way Luffy nudged food closer, and the eye roll Law gave even as he took a few bites, the bright grin on Luffy’s face when Law rolled a piece of meat onto the fighter’s plate. Both of them could have entire conversations without even saying a word and it was a powerful thing to witness.

Cora turned to Kuzan with far more determination than before. “Please, tell us what you know.”

“I don’t know much. Just that Doflamingo was working on a project called SAD. It was a drug of some sort, but the effects weren’t clear to me. Some people got really strong, some just went crazy.”

“And Doflamingo supplied this to Kaido or others?”

“Kaido for sure. Doflamingo would have risked his anger if he traded with any competitors.”

“Did any of them die from it?”

“No idea. That’s really the extent of my knowledge.”

There was contemplative silence before Law sighed in defeat. “Then it’s back to plan A. Ask Doflamingo.”

“No way,” Cora snapped. It sounded like a parent scolding a child. “Doflamingo is locked up, he’s not allowed visitors, not that he would tell you anything anyway.”

“Actually,” Torao had a dry smirk on his face. “I have special access.”

“... Of course you do,” Cora snarled. He did look pretty terrifying when angry; Luffy always tended to forget that the man used to be an undercover cop in a gang. The man was very gentle, hard to piss off - but when that patience snapped... “I’m going with you.”

“I was afraid you’d say that and yet… kind of hoping you would.” Law curled into the table, arms supporting his head as he rubbed his eyes tiredly. “But with such little information, he’ll just have a field day running us in circles.

Scoffing rather uncharacteristically, Cora glared out to space, obviously stuck in his head - already thinking about how to approach this. “We’ll need to have something to negotiate with.”

“We?” Kuzan repeated. Luffy could tell that Cora kicked his husband from under the table. “Alright, alright. Damn it.” He rubbed at his shin, frowning. “There’s another piece to this game though.”

“Akainu,” Both Luffy and Law growled the name simultaneously.

Kuzan looked a little weirded out but nodded solemnly. “I can’t imagine he’s happy. Ever since Doflamingo was arrested and the Amber Lead experiments were cut off, he’s been slipping. I’m not sure who Doflamingo would be more afraid of; Kaido or Akainu, but I do know that if SAD was shut down too… the results would not be pretty.”

Torao seemed to catch something, his eyes narrowed in thought. “Do you think he’d make a move to kill Doflamingo? Could we use that?”

“I’m sure he would, but he’d know it was a trap. Akainu has tied up loose ends often, he hasn’t been caught yet…”

“Maybe. We need to force his hand, damn it!”

“I think I might have an idea,” Kuzan replied.

* * *

The blank grey cell was cold, but not frigid, nor was it dank like a dungeon or something would be. It’s one window along the wall was high and covered in iron bars that made the cheerful sunny day outside look ominous. A single-person bed was bolted to one wall; bare mattress with a threadbare blanket folded neatly on top. A similar bed was on the other side but didn’t look to be in use. One table bolted to the floor surrounded by two chairs was directly across from the entrance, below the window. That was it. In the whole ten by ten-foot room, that was all.

Its entrance door was metal with a large viewing window allowing one to see the whole room. Keys jangled loudly as they twisted in the lock, the guard’s set of twenty or so banging against the metal. “Stay on your cot,” He ordered the criminal inside. Once the door was opened, he stepped in to hold it for the guests.

Law had been in a cell like this… twice maybe. It looked like the holding tank police put intoxicated people in to wait for them to sober up. A place not meant for long term, just a place to wait and sleep before processing. As a troublesome brat with anger issues, Law may have gotten into a few drunken fights or vandalized some public property that led to arrests.

Cora had to bail him out and it was never a pretty sight to see him waiting there as you’re marched out of the cell - smelling gross, hungover, and regretting everything.

Thankfully, that was more of a phase. Eventually, Law was able to adjust to life in a new country, make friends who weren’t bad influences (Penguin and Shachi were debatable sometimes), and stayed clear of breaking laws. As the upstanding citizen he’s turned out to be, Law hadn’t needed to remember what these places were like.

But he certainly remembered enough to point out details. As closely as it resembled a holding tank, the security in this place was far higher than what he’d see at a small city jail. There was a guard on every corner, cameras at every door, bars on every window, and every prisoner here was stripped of everything and put into a penal uniform consisting of a lackluster green.

An impressive air of intimidation layered the whole ward, keeping the detained obedient with threats of isolation or a longer sentence. Maybe even violence, Law wouldn’t put that passed them.

None of this would matter to Doflamingo though.

Even if Sabo’s team allowed physical punishment to interrogate, Law could assume Doflamingo still wouldn’t bend. Nothing Sabo could do would compare to the _art_ the man had turned torture into. No. The only thing Doflamingo ever truly feared was death, and he knew he wouldn’t die here, not when they needed him.

Cora and Law both expected the languid posture and bestial grin the blond wore when they stepped through the cell door but that didn’t mean they were fully prepared to face him. He was still Cora’s brother and Law knew that as determined as he was to stop the elder’s cruelty, the sense of family was still buried underneath. That was why Cora had hesitated when it came to pulling the trigger all those years ago when Doflamingo hadn’t.

All these years later and a second chance helped stabilize Cora’s resolve. There was still fear, yet sadness and acceptance where there used to be a vain hope. Nowadays, it looks like Cora has had closure, if not peace.

_“There is no rehabilitation. No therapy.” Cora had told him. “I’d like to think my older brother died to become this monster, but the truth is... he’d always been this way. Heartless, selfish, destructive. I thought that if I just showed him love and compassion, he’d change or make an exception - show he was capable of the same. But not even mom could do that and neither could I.”_

Law never had that hope, to begin with. He’d seen Doflamingo as a terrifying hero and villain all in one; his strength and the unsympathetic way he dealt with challenges was _admirable_. To such a scared boy who had lost everything, it was exactly who he wanted to be. Someone who had no fear, someone others obeyed, someone in control of their own fate.

Unlike Cora, there was no sense of betrayal, Law never trusted him to begin with. There was just a slow understanding of what it meant to trade humanity for power. Sure, Doflamingo wasn’t haunted by his past; he didn’t have nightmares like Cora sometimes did. And while Law would have given anything to stop his own, it would have meant not _caring_ about the ones that had left him in such pain. If he no longer grieved… who would?

They both had expected more from Doflamingo than he could give and their hopes had crumbled in the man’s hands. Facing him now reminded them of what it _could_ have been. If Doflamingo had ever cared about anything other than himself, what would their lives have been like?

“Take as much time as you need, I’ll be in the hall.” The guard said.

They were briefed on the procedure before being allowed in; the surveillance that would be watching them, the team close by in case Doflamingo tried anything, where they stood and safety precautions. They treated the criminal as if he were one of the most dangerous out there. Maybe he was; if he had the chance, the psycho would kill everyone here to escape.

He’d have to break out of the manacles first. The metal around his wrists was connected by a dull chain, but a longer one led back to the wall like a leash, five feet or so long.

With a jaunty wave of his hands, Doflamingo greeted them with a sinister smile, leaning back on his cot with his long legs thrown out in front of him. “I wondered when you’d come to see me.”

Cora sat on the other cot, striking an interesting picture between two brothers as they divided the room. Their eyes locked and Cora’s expression remained blank in the face of Doflamingo’s dramatics. Law took one of the chairs closest to his father, crossing his legs and leaning an elbow on the table’s surface, he tried to look unimpressed with his ‘uncle’ as well.

Luffy was the only one to disrupt the mood by dragging the other chair around, the legs scraping along the floor as he twisted it to straddle the back and lay his arms across the support. “Hey, ‘Mingo. You look like shit.”

They didn’t let him keep the glasses he always wore... hideously pointed red shades that hid the ruthless gaze. Law didn’t know if seeing them was worse. Cora had deep brown eyes, sometimes tinted a shade of maroon in the light. The older brother’s right eye was similarly colored but his left was a striking blue.

Heterochromia wasn’t rare but most cases weren’t so obvious. Neither he nor Cora ever spoke about it and Law was too afraid to ask, but he wondered. Had he been born with the condition or was it acquired through other health conditions or damage? Was the left eye functional or blind? Whether it was or not didn’t seem to matter; Doflamingo never let on that it bothered him and he didn’t display any weaknesses, regardless of possible disabilities.

Sky blue and chocolate brown moved as one to land on Law’s figure, and he tried not to shiver. He ignored Luffy’s jab to dig into the doctor instead. “You’re looking healthier, Law. I was told you pulled off another amazing recovery.”

“Yeah. So did all the others in your sick experiment. A miracle.”

“Not a single one died? Such a great doctor you are, it’s like you learned from the best.”

“You mean, I went to school and studied hard to get a license,” Law growled.

“That too, but I can’t imagine the plenty of _hands-on_ experience I gave you didn’t play a part.”

Luffy chuffed. “Torao learned from his parents before he even met you, he was already halfway there. He would have been a great surgeon without you too.”

The interruption of his fun seemed to annoy him, the grin falling into a frown for a short moment. “You. What was your name?”

“Monkey D. Luffy!”

“Oh, Law’s little boyfriend. I forgot.”

Before Luffy could get worked up Cora distracted them by coughing. “Don’t fall for his stupid tricks, you two. We’re here to ask you questions.”

“Ask away, _Corazon_.”

“Where is your other lab located? The one you produce SAD in?”

If he was surprised at the drug’s name-drop, he didn’t show it. “My lab? You destroyed it, remember?”

“That was Akainu’s lab where you weaponized Amber Lead for him. I mean the other lab for Kaido.”

“Hm. Ask him.”

“We will eventually. If he’s caught with the drug in his system during his fight with Luffy.”

“Really?”

Somehow, Law got the feeling their conversation was rather one-sided already, with Doflamingo getting more out of it than they were. “You haven’t spoken to Kaido in a while. Do you think he’s continued working on this drug since you’ve been locked up? Maybe he’s made it better where you failed?”

It was easier to see Doflamingo’s emotions with his eyes on display like they were. The man tended to grin no matter what he felt, but behind the shades, his eyes would tell differently. Malice was what Law felt from them now; a shine that spoke of tested patience, a dig in the skin.

“Doubtful.”

Ah, he always did want to be the best in everything. “I think he has. When Jack was on it, he was a lot stronger and faster.”

“Yet, he died.”

For a moment, Law let that hang. How did Doflamingo know that? Was it possible that he received the news in here? Did the guards talk about it? Did Sabo? No, Sabo didn’t even try to discuss this with him, he knew it would have been useless. “You knew?”

“Always a possibility.” That grin splayed on his face looked morbid, but Law and Cora shared a quick glance. “You’ve always been so smart, Law. I can see the little wheels turn.”

“I’m desperate, Doflamingo,” Law stood from his seat, body restless with his emotions as he dared to get closer, like the anger in his veins was overriding his fear of the criminal in chains.

Dolfamingo had coveted his anger once, told him they were similar in so many ways. Letting that hatred boil to the surface now caught the blond man’s attention. “I need to know about this drug. I need to know because Kaido is willing to do anything; he’s not going to play fair, and so I won’t either. Akainu is five steps ahead of us, always, and I’m sick of it! I need something.”

“I did tell you, caring about people so much wouldn’t get you anywhere.”

“Oh, but it _has_ gotten me here,” Law replied with vicious sarcasm, stepping right into his space yet unable to hover or intimidate as he’d like with Doflamingo’s larger frame. “It’s got me willing to consider doing things I hadn’t thought about since I was back in Dressrosa. You always wanted me to get my hands dirty, to hurt people who stood in my way regardless of consequences. Well, right now, you’re the one in my way.”

There was shifting from the other bed and Law didn’t have to look to see how uncomfortable Cora was; the expression he must be making as he fought against the immediate denial. Doflamingo’s eyes broke from Law to look at him, observing the way his brother clearly wanted to argue yet held his tongue, and he was amused by it.

“Torao,” Luffy murmured. “We can talk to Sabo about that if you think that’s necessary…”

“I doubt we have that long.” The doctor said. “Honestly, I’m surprised you’ve been locked away here for as long as you have. We didn’t catch many of the other members of the gang. Baby Five was happy to leave, but others were far more loyal. Trebol, Diamante, Pink? When do they plan to come bust you out?”

“Why, did you bring a pair of pliers with you?”

“I’m sure I know enough techniques to do without.”

“I taught you those techniques, brat. Do you think they’ll work?”

“If it doesn’t and you refuse to talk then you’re useless to me, and I’ll leave you on Kaido’s doorstep! At least I know _he’ll_ want you dead and I’d much rather have you dead than roaming free!” He snarled.

“Well, I’m sure you won’t have to worry about that for too much longer.” Obviously, the slip of information was purposeful. No matter how angry he was, the man wouldn’t have spilled his secrets that easily.

“Your death?” Law sneered. “Planning on ending it early?”

“Of course not. Kaido’s death is inevitable.”

“Why?”

“Because you are on to something, little Law. Kaido is desperate, and if his stupidity doesn’t get him killed, Akainu will.”

“I already know Akainu is not Kaido’s friend, but other than loose ends, why would he risk himself to kill Kaido when so many people are watching him? Why would _Kaido_ be the cause of his own death?”

“You ask so many questions.” Doflamingo scoffed. He leaned back further, slouching over the bed, chained wrists clanking softly. His dual-colored eyes focused on the ceiling like it was more interesting than their conversation and it left Law feeling stupid as he loomed over the cot, being ignored. “Fine. I’ll tell you. If only because I’m curious on what you’ll do to stop him.”

He spoke to the ceiling like he was telling it a story. “SAD is deadly. In all cases, much like the Amber Lead poison in which it was influenced by, there are no surviving victims. It works like a lethal dose of adrenaline, eventually, the body will fall apart, unable to break down the compounds within and overworking to the point of failure. Kaido already toes the line of suicide; he thinks he’s invincible and is obsessed with his title of champion. If your little boyfriend is a real threat to that, he might just take the risk.

Akainu, on the other hand, is not as impatient. Jack’s death was too public, and Kaido’s choices would shine more light on him. If I were in that position, I’d be thinking about terminating the problem before it gets any bigger.”

Luffy made a growling sound, pitching high at the end like a whine. “So he’s gonna try and kill Kaido before I even get to fight him? Oh, hell no!”

“By that logic, Kaido’s not the only one in danger. Akainu would be after all of his partners; you too.”

“True,” Doflamingo laughed. “If he can find me.”

“You don’t plan to be here for it.”

Doflamingo gave him a peculiar look. “Your hatred of me is strong, but Akainu certainly played a big part in the destruction of Flevance. Who do you fear more? Your dear uncle or the marine bastard that burned away your whole family?”

Ironic that Law had been wondering the same thing about Doflamingo a few hours ago, about who he feared more… He supposed that answered the question.

“Why are you divulging all of this? I thought… I came here thinking I’d have to…”

_Hurt you, torture you, just like you taught me._

“I already know how far you’d go to get your answers, Law.” Doflamingo’s grin was back, spreading slowly and malevolently across his face. “You’re too much like me.”

Be that as it may, putting any of that to use would have destroyed part of Law too, Doflamingo had to know that, and he was surprised that he’d not willingly suffer a bit of pain to see Law break just that little bit. Then again… maybe they didn’t have the time to play this game. The criminal was at risk as well and if Law wanted to go after his enemies, Doflamingo would sit back and let them destroy each other, taking advantage of the chaos to put his escape plan into motion.

“I know…”

For the decade or so that Cora and Law tried to live apart from Doflamingo, a part of him always wondered why the man, who was so vengeful and petty, didn’t pursue them for their treachery. Now maybe he understood… Corazon had helped him escape Flevance, but hadn’t expected or wished for him to be a part of Doflamingo’s gang. No, Law had joined that by force, by strapping live grenades to his body, declaring his hatred for the world and willing to end his life to see it burn.

Thirteen years old and ready to go so far to avenge his dead family. Brave enough to stand up against Doflamingo and all the man would _do to him_ to save Cora. Prepared to _do_ all those things for Luffy…

Doflamingo left them alone because he understood that making an enemy of Law was like going to war against himself. And Law thinks he can finally accept that; he knew he wasn’t a good person, that he didn’t deserve the two radiant angels just behind him, but he’d do anything to keep them safe and happy.

Anything at all.

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I jumped on the bandwagon with the theory on Doflamingo's eyes! Go check it out if you're interested, it's all fan speculation though.
> 
> Sorry for the long waits between these last few chapters. Things might slowly be getting back to normal but I'm still working remotely (which I'm fine with) and it's hard to write at home. I'm finishing this though! Close to wrapping things up! Thanks for all your support and comments that I reply to way late! They certainly keep me motivated! Stay safe!


	27. Moonlight - Chapter 27

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Dead bodies."
> 
> Law hummed in response to Luffy's statement, taking it as a continuation of his thoughts; dead clients wouldn't be giving more money, but then, maybe Kaido just wanted these people dead anyway-
> 
> "Torao! Dead. Bodies."

A part of him was ashamed to admit it but if Akainu just killed Kaido, things would be simpler. It would give Sabo time for a full investigation, the death of such a notorious figure in the underworld would leave a vacuum of power the agent could take advantage of, they’d be down one less enemy.

And Luffy wouldn’t have to fight a raging psychopath.

Ideally, an anonymous tip to the MMA from Nami would have put more scrutiny on Kaido, but despite the rumors and suspicions against him, all these inquiries were swept under the rug. Kaido was a big name with shady connections. Much like Big Mom and Germa, certain _unfortunate_ accidents happened to those who challenged them and nobody wanted to make 'The Beast' angry. It probably didn’t help that one of Kaido’s biggest sponsors happened to be a senator by the name Rabbish, according to Sabo.

Yes, the very same man they had punched at the banquet years ago. Ironic.

Knowing that, Law wasn’t surprised that their attempts were for nothing. Rabbish would want this fight to continue as scheduled and use his influence to push it through. There wasn’t much they could do about that, but Law grit his teeth against his hatred for the politician as well as all the others who thought only of the money this fight would be bringing in.

_“Think of people as connections, in a web you manipulate. Know which strings to pull to get what you want… and know when to_ cut _useless ties.” Doflamingo used to tell him._

It was wrong to think of people in such terms; concerned only with what others can do for you. Nonetheless, Law could never forget the display of power Doflamingo had over his web and the things he could do with it. The lesson stuck with him; which was why he had no qualms about using Doflamingo for his own gain, squeezing as much information as he could out of the bastard.

They weren’t stupid enough to trust everything the man said though. While the info he gave was vital and allowed them to have the upper hand, it didn’t come without a grain of salt. Doffy always did like to keep details to himself until the right moment came.

However, with only two days left until the fight with Kaido, there wasn’t much time to act; they had to line up their pieces. First, they had to get a hold of SAD. For research, for the halting of its production, and to hopefully keep Kaido from using it himself, among a few reasons. To do that, they needed to take over its manufacturing.

Its location proved to be the first hurdle, but Doflamingo gave that up with little issue when Law pushed. And as much as Law disliked the marines, half of his family were a part of it, he wouldn’t waste such a prized resource there either. While there wasn’t much they could do about Kaido, Cora was able to send out tasks and orders that distracted Akainu for a bit or took him out of Goa completely for short periods. Kuzan signed up for work close by to keep an eye on him.

These tactics were most likely noticed, it was hard to keep up the subtlety with such obvious methods. But it worked, and that was all that mattered.

Not that it soothed Law’s anxiety one bit. Thanks to their obvious surveillance, Kaido hadn’t been surprise-assassinated or anything, which was a double-edged sword. Luffy wasn’t nearly as appreciative. While Law seemed to steel himself for some unseen attack or tragedy, Luffy’s energy accumulated until his excitement could barely be contained in his small body.

_“I’m glad,” He said with a smile that was slightly terrifying to behold. “Nobody is going to interfere.”_

_“This isn’t just about the championship anymore, Luffy-ya.”_

_“Oh, I know. It’s personal,” Yet his smile only grew. “I got him really mad. We’re going to give it everything we have.”_

It made Law even more concerned because his boyfriend was beginning to treat this as some kind of deathmatch, and Luffy _said_ he wouldn’t act so needlessly reckless but… _yeah, right_.

Law understood the need to prove himself and the dream Luffy strived for, he knew the lengths the fighter would go to win. That intensity and will were what attracted Law in the first place. Fighting was at the center of who Luffy was; wild and chaotic, carefree and untamed.

Yet, Law couldn’t help but remember how it felt to see Luffy on the screen, head shoved to the ground as Katakuri twisted his arm to a grotesque angle. Whoever was filming had a great view of Luffy’s face, and the anguish in his expression tore Law to pieces as he sat thousands of miles away, useless. He remembered that helpless feeling, the near hyperventilation, the tears he didn’t notice he was holding in, the little half-moon crescent marks on his palms from squeezing his fist so tightly.

Even though it didn’t break Luffy, it broke part of Law’s heart. With every glimpse of his bruised and battered body, he remembered just how dangerous Luffy’s dream was. A part of him settled with the affirmation of Luffy’s promise to him, but the fear was still there, creeping ever so closely to the surface. He's lost too many precious people in his life to be so confident, was proven wrong before, had his hopes and dreams crushed under cruel fate often enough.

He couldn’t let Luffy do this all alone.

The fight would be his, but Law could support him in other ways. If that support meant cheering him on from the sidelines, then sure, but more importantly, Law would pull any string he could to make sure that Luffy went into that battle on even ground.

So, Law went further and asked Baby Five to get in touch with other strays from the gang which led to new connections. Adding more people to the mix wasn’t what he wanted, but if there was an enemy of Kaido and Akainu, they were good friends to make. Besides, these connections had a lot to say.

Kozuki Wano: an old name belonging to an old family with deep roots, and also the name of their hot spring resort in the mountains to the west. It was isolated from Goa, tucked into the forest beyond the reserve boundary, using geothermal energy and running on pure water from the ice caps further up.

“I remember that place,” Luffy said when they reconvened. “It was popular a long time ago, the resort was pretty rich and had a lot of people, we were never able to sneak in to use the baths. It was pretty far up anyway, I don’t hike around there much.”

“It's been closed for a few years. The resort belongs to an old family Kaido dealt with in his early days of power struggle. At some point, he took over, closed it to the public, and used it as his vacation home.” Law explained. The information from different sources lined up and started to paint a sad picture of the past.

Kozuki’s situation sounded similar to the recent events Luffy had told him about regarding the Big Mom family business. However they got into such deep debt, Kaido was known to collect what he was owed, one way or another. For a small family like this, the resort would be their prized asset… and the most valued collateral.

“What happened to them then?” Luffy asked. Did Kaido push the family out to the street or kill them?

“The only one we know for sure about is Momonosuke, the young son. He still lives there.”

“Then, maybe he could help us! We can help free them like I helped Katakuri!”

Law smirked at Luffy’s exuberance. “About that. Want to call in a favor? Big Mom and Kaido already have tensions between them, if they can get Kaido’s attention, we can get into the resort.”

If Law didn’t love Luffy so much, he’d say his grin was terrifying, especially when he paired the mischievous look with a non-sequitur like, “We need to pick up some donuts.”

He’d never argue about stupid food being a motivator again.

Donuts were convincing enough for Katakuri, who then brought the case to his mother who didn’t need much persuasion to challenge one of Kaido’s fighters. She had been looking for ways to recover from their defeat, and her dramatic call out for a skirmish gained attention.

A backhanded insult that Kaido’s fighters lost too easily - perhaps it was time to check ranks? - and Kaido couldn’t let such a thing go unanswered.

He was already losing ground with his reputation on the line too; first with Jack’s public downfall, and with the doubt placed on him in defeating Luffy. So Kaido personally showed up to watch one of his calamities go against Big Mom’s best fighters.

_“Katakuri will win,” Luffy stated with that same chaotic grin on his face. “He’s stronger than any of them.”_

Law would feel jealous of the way Luffy gushed about it, but on a deeper level, he understood the respect Luffy had for the man. Katakuri almost beat him to save his family - he was a good fighter and a good person.

The distraction served its purpose; the villa would be empty and they’d be able to sneak in.

Which led them to this moment, where all their planning came together. He turned his steering wheel to follow the curving roads leading them to the resort and smiled at Luffy’s bubbling excitement, he felt the familiar simmering of anticipation in his blood as well. A plan was being put into action, and Law felt better for _doing_ something, even if it was breaking and entering.

“This is the best date we’ve been on yet!”

Which… Law didn’t argue with, and that said a lot about their characters. Still, he felt like he had to be some voice of reason. “This is not a game,” He chided, though his smile ruined its effect.

“But, look!” Luffy pointed at the building they were pulling up to. Asian inspired architecture blended with nature, partially covered in vines with tiled roofs buried under golden leaves. A framed entrance-way greeted them as if they were being welcomed into a temple. “It looks just like one.”

He parked before a large set of steps leading up to the main plateau of buildings. The stairs were framed by large wooden posts that made a ‘gateway’ into the villa, old and covered in vines, simple and traditional.

Stepping out of the car, Law couldn’t help but appreciate the beauty of the place; its remote location tucked into the forest and quiet serenity. It wasn’t what he imagined when he thought of drug testing and manufacturing. The marine base and research center Law had been kept at for White Amber Lead experimentation was a lot different.

Although, it didn’t mean this was going to be easy. He figured he should do one more check before going further; things were starting to go a little _too well._ “You sure Kaido is where he’s supposed to be?”

Luffy nodded. “Zoro and Sanji texted and said that the fights are still going on. Kaido’s still there watching.”

“Good. Kuzan also texted to tell me Akainu is still at the headquarters. They don’t know we’re aware of this place, so they shouldn’t expect us here, but we need to be prepared just in case.”

“We just need to get proof to Sabo right?”

Eventually, the goal would be to shut the whole operation down, which the two of them couldn't do alone. Kaido was a powerful enemy but he’s not the only one who would take such drastic measures to keep power. It wasn’t a stretch to think that Germa or Big Mom would use SAD for themselves if they had the chance.

Destroying it would keep it out of anyone else's hands and Law could trust Luffy’s brother to do that. It was because of Sabo that Doflamingo’s experiments were put to an end; that research on turning White Amber lead into a weapon was wiped clean and Law’s published work on its treatment was brought to new light.

Unfortunately, Sabo’s team operated behind red tape, so without cause, they couldn’t storm the place. Last time, Luffy’s direct testament to kidnapping and connection to Doflamingo forced his hand, but this time, Sabo would have to be more careful. It was decided that Law and Luffy would go in to scope it out, find evidence that would serve as justification for Sabo’s involvement, and steal a bit of SAD while they were at it.

Without getting caught for their little B&E.

Just as he thought that they noticed a small form approaching them from the stairs. A serious-looking teenage boy wearing a traditional yukata with sakura blossoms embroidered on the cotton. The top of his hair was shorn but the sides were long enough to be pulled back in a tight bun. It was a very traditional style that Law didn't see many people pull off, but it fits extremely well in their surroundings, and from what little Law knew, this boy didn't have a lot of interaction with the world beyond these gates.

“That’s Momonosuke,” Law informed, even if Luffy recognized the face already. “He’s the son and rightful owner of the place.”

To be named heir at such a young age was telling enough of what happened to the rest of the family, even if the rest of the story was kept secret. He nodded to the stern-looking boy and they introduced themselves.

It may have been funny; they chose the middle of the day to walk right up to the front door, gave their names like they were guests - but it wouldn’t take a genius to know they didn’t belong. The chances of them infiltrating unseen were low and making friends out of this was the idea. Once Luffy knew about the family, there was no other option but to help them.

Besides, their distraction wouldn’t last long and wouldn’t likely happen again before the scheduled fight. Whatever their methods; this was the only opportunity.

“What business do you have here?” Momonosuke asked threateningly as if he were older and more authoritative than he was. “You must have an invitation before stepping foot on this property!”

Like a switch (which Law sometimes thought of it as - flipped most of the time but never fake) Luffy turned on his grin, the one that disarmed everyone and made people like him so much. “Hi! We’re just here to look around a bit and take pictures and stuff.”

The boy wasn't moved, but Law recognized something in his eyes that made his chest tighten in sympathy, despite his steeled spine. Children were more dangerous than many people think... they understood and were capable of so much more. He should know, Law had been ready to blow himself up to take as many people out as he could when he was just around Momonosuke’s age.

Constant dangers and tragedy made them mature fast and Law knew it would be wrong to belittle this boy with childish lies and platitudes. “Doflamingo, Kaido’s partner, told us about this place. We have people on standby to search the resort. It would go faster if you help us.”

“Stupid!” Momonosuke insulted, his eyes were wide with a touch of fear - maybe he would have been punished for letting them inside. Perhaps he was too scared to see the hope at his doorstep. “Kaido isn’t here, but that doesn’t mean he won’t find out you came in! He’ll come after you!”

“That’s what we have this for,” Law pulled out a sleek black pistol, pulling it from its awkward position at the small of his back where it didn’t have a holster. He pointed it up to the sky, finger away from the trigger, and silently noted how big it was compared to his palm, even though his hands weren't considered _small_. The weight was heavy - dense metal pulling at his hold like it was testing his grip.

A large barrel and polished handle shined in the sun, but the reflected light enhanced the obsidian color even more until it was like staring into an abyss. “We’re coming in whether you let us or not.”

The boy’s expression shifted from angry to nervous, his sandaled feet took a few steps back. “L-look, if you’re going to just come in shooting the place, my family-”

“Go get them,” Luffy interrupted. “Bring them out here and my brother will make sure you’re safe, okay? He’s a special agent here to stop crime!”

He didn’t think that would work very well; it sounded like a stupid fantasy, but maybe Momonosuke was just young enough to believe him. After a moment or two of processing it, he slowly nodded his head to agree if not _trust_ Luffy’s words. Whether or not there was a secret spy to their rescue, whatever, his priority would still be to help his family escape.

Maybe the boy was so desperate to finally do something about Kaido that he’s willing to put blind faith into a stranger. It could also be because Luffy just had that effect on people; the radiant sunshine of a man could talk a hungry tiger into becoming his friend. Whatever the case may be, it was clear that he wouldn't be risking his life to stop them; his fear of Kaido wasn't strong enough for that.

Momonosuke finally turned to run back up the stairs. A few paces up and he stopped to direct them to the left with his hand. “Past the cottages, bright red door. Most of the people working are not bad people, they just have to do it. You’ll find most of them in the main house in the center.”

He said all this with one breath, hurrying to explain before he could continue warning and extracting his family from the impending danger. Immediately, he started running up the steps again.

Law set out to follow more sedately but Luffy halted his advancement with a hand, looking meaningfully at the pistol Law still held limply. “That was Doflamingo’s, wasn’t it?”

“Yes.” Corazon’s was white with gold trim and filigree along the side. The elder brothers’ had been black, with the same gold design. “Cora gave it to me. He said it was to protect myself but... I think there was more to it than that.”

Cora wanted the weapon to stay within the family, he supposed and didn't want it to be used by Doflamingo to hurt people anymore. Law couldn't help but think that it could never belong to anyone _but_ Doflamingo.

He took it out of reflex, perceiving the solid weight of it in his hand, the cold metal and polished wood grip, but the feel of it was all wrong; chaotic and bloodthirsty in a way his scalpel wasn't. A part of him feared firing the thing; as if no matter where he aimed, the malicious intent born within it would change the trajectory.

Law couldn’t tell how many lives it had taken, but it was probably no small number. The black of its plating seemed steeped with violence and terror. Despair and cruelty in place of the hope and justice its twin signified.

"You don't like it," Luffy said, bluntly. "I don't either. Guns are dumb, you don’t need it."

Law cracked a small smile. It would be like Luffy to say that. The man probably considered guns as _cheating_ in a fight. “You’re right.”

Weapons like that were never his forte anyway, which was why he brought along his knife; small, discreet, and far more dangerous in the hands of someone who knew exactly how to use it. He wasn’t stupid enough to come unarmed here, even if Luffy was dangerous with just his fists.

He thought the extra power at his back would give him an edge, but all it’s done was cause anxiety. He couldn’t stop his mind from wondering if the firearm was in the hands of another monster - or if anyone that dared to use it _became_ the monster.

He opened the car door and bent over to hide the pistol underneath their seat. Tucking it away out of sight gave him a bit more room to breathe; his focus on it was unhealthy but he couldn’t afford to contemplate its meaning now. He shut the door behind him and felt better for it, even if it was an ace up the sleeve, the guilt wouldn’t have been worth it.

In tandem, Luffy and Law climbed the steps to the resort. Their feet crunched leaves underneath and they vaguely heard the rush of people ahead. To either side of the pathway, little cottages that could once be reserved by guests were being emptied of people. A little girl in a beautiful yukata ran past them, the charms in her hair jingling with her hurried steps.

Without pausing, Law sent a quick text to Sabo about the evacuation. The agent wasn't too far away and would come at the call of displaced children; he’d keep them safe and ensure their wellbeing even after this was all over. Just as he had done for the children of Amber Lead before. It was exactly why Sabo had joined this branch of security; to help the innocents impacted by cruelties out of their control - scared victims and broken families.

As they crested the stairs they came to a long narrow courtyard stretched before them with cabins along the perimeter. Eight small houses in total: four to either side, with curved tile roofs, frosted glass sliding doors with wood trim, and a walkway connecting them. Their masses directed them in a straight line, elongating the central plaza where trees lined the walkway. Large fountains and small aqua-ducts weaved through the greenery but the water was dry, and gardens were left to run wild with weeds. In its prime, it must have been a beautiful scenery under meticulous grooming, but there was still a charm to it, even with overfilling containers and rusted spouts. Law ducked under a branch encroaching the walkway and followed behind Luffy as the man marched towards the main house located at the far end.

Framed with a large wooden gate and red door, the main entertaining house was supposed to be for events dedicated to their guests. It was the front desk of the baths, with a reception/ dining hall consisting of low tables and pillowed seats - when it was open and full of customers, the cooks would make a feast and the sake flowed from cups like water. Laughter and music echoing as dancers put on their show. Further in the back would be the prep rooms with warm towels and a masseuse for hire; the stone of the mountains would start becoming natural sound barriers as the guests continued through the processioned walkways, until the start of the baths.

Years ago, the baths would have been a place of peace and relaxation; the steam and salt soothing the muscles, the aromatic blend of flowers and minerals light on the tongue.

Now... whatever Law could have imagined this place to be before Kaido, didn't fit with what they saw stepping into the halls. Random types of equipment littered the place and tables full of bottles and chemicals made the open space seem small and enclosed. The tatami mats along the floor were ripped and stained from heavy traffic and moved furniture, delicate wood and paper walls broken or dulled or torn. Someone had pinned blankets to the windows to block the natural light, leaving the place dark and dank.

Even the smell... sulfuric and acidic, toxic, rotten.

Luffy recoiled at the first catch of it, coughing and lifting his shirt to cover his nose like it would help filter out the stench. With narrowed eyes that wanted to water and a burning nose, Law took a tentative step around him to look closely at the work being done around them. Several people, mostly elders who looked like they hadn't seen sunlight in years, were nervously watching them from their stations. A few workers braved the chance to escape, others scrambled from deeper in the building, he could hear what sounded like pots and pans moving in the kitchen.

The Donquixote gang had a stake in many areas but human trafficking was the most lucrative. It turned Law's stomach to see the 'auction houses' Doflamingo ran where people were taken from their lives and sold like livestock - those were the worst of the unimaginable horrors Law had witnessed in his lifetime.

Drug dens like these weren't uncommon either though, and they came with their own brand of evils. There weren't many Law had seen and he certainly was no expert on the subject, but the fact of the matter was; this type of work was dangerous. Depending on the products being made, the chemicals used, the process of extracting or combining components... mistakes were inevitable.

Fumes burned his nostrils and he could only wonder at what it would do to the lungs if inhaled for long periods. None of the workers here wore masks or gloves. "Get out," He snapped, hoping a more aggressive order would be followed without question. He needn't have worried about that; people were more than happy to leave, bypassing them quickly as they stood by the doorway, still attempting to adjust to their new environment.

Luffy jerked at a blanket with his free hand, unpinning it from the window frame and flooding the place with light, coughing anew when it sent a cloud of dust (and who knows what else) through the air.

"This place stinks, Torao."

"Yeah, don't touch anything. Take pictures as quickly as possible."

Luffy had to reveal his face to retrieve and hold his phone to use the camera, his nose scrunched up and eyes tearing. "I don't even know what I'm looking at."

Tentatively, Law drew closer to the makeshift lab, trying to identify tools and compounds. Plastic jugs were scattered around, some full, some empty, tubes and beakers, bags of trash, a mess that he was unsure belonged to the necessary operation or not. There was a thin covering of dust or maybe it was a powder of some kind - or a byproduct?

Towards the end of the weird processing line was a press he'd recognize in a pharmacy, where the powder was condensed into pill form and transferred to bags. With caution, Law took one; the tiny bag contained two little round pills of strange colors and he put it into his pants pocket for later study. There weren't many that were made, so perhaps it was a slow method of manufacturing, but then again, why make many of a drug that had zero success? If everyone took it and died, Kaido wouldn't be selling much.

"Dead bodies."

Law hummed in response to Luffy's statement, taking it as a continuation of his thoughts; dead clients wouldn't be giving more money, but then, maybe Kaido just wanted these people dead anyway-

"Torao! _Dead. Bodies._ "

The emphasis and high notes of Luffy's voice brought his attention up from the white pills he'd been studying to look at his boyfriend across the room. The man was peeking around a divider separating the dining and kitchen, he looked back at Law with wide eyes and a pale face, his finger pointing to what he'd seen. That's when the words finally caught up to him, and Law rushed to round the table and join Luffy at the wall, looking around it to see two human-shaped lumps on the floor, one on the counter.

His first instinct as a doctor was to run over and check their vitals, see if they were breathing, start chest compressions, call the emergency services, but he soon found that all of that would have been too little too late. These people were quite dead and in various stages of decomposing. It looked like the effects of SAD were being carefully studied from the cadavers; one of them had their chest opened up, ribs broken open like a cage, revealing the organs within.

"Well. That explains part of the smell."

"What the fuck..."

Law made another noise of agreement. He examined the body opened up on the counter - where people used to _prepare food, damn he hoped they didn’t use it for that purpose anymore_ \- and noticed how messy it was. Then felt stupid for grading a criminal on their operating technique; like they would give a shit about proper procedures. "Send pictures of them to your brother," Law said. "This is more than enough incentive."

"Y-yeah..." Luffy inched closer, almost hiding behind Law's back to peak over his shoulder like the dead body would suddenly come to life again, his face spoke of disturbed fascination. His voice was strong and brave, but he got even closer, mere inches from Law's back, and reached around just enough to take a photo with his camera. "There. Done." He tapped his palm between Law's shoulder blades like it was a signal to move out, as if he were saying _good job, great day, let's go._

"Didn’t you want to know what a heart looked like?"

"I’m good, thanks.”

Law’s humor was dark enough to continue teasing. “Maybe it’s still beating.”

“Stop being creepy!”

In seriousness, the doctor just tilted his head a bit to look at the said organ on display a little more intently. Jack's autopsy was vague, leaving him with more questions than answers, and he wondered if he could get a better idea from looking at it himself. He took a step closer, Luffy following to keep close distance even though it gave him an even better - unwanted - view of the dead body.

This might be his only chance. If the drug acted like a wild form of adrenalin, then the heart would most likely show signs of stress. There may be indicators of high blood pressure and heart rate damage, increased blood flow to the muscles, widened passageways in the lungs. It was hard to determine this from a middle-aged man of unknown health and origin, being dead in an uncontrolled environment for who-knows how long but-

There was a sound from further in the building, echoing to them eerily.

It was a strange scratching sound like a sliding door stuck on rusty tracks and both Law and Luffy tensed, surprised that there would still be anyone in the building. Soft and slow footsteps were heard from the hall that led to the baths and Law quickly and quietly stepped to the side of the doorway, glancing at Luffy to encourage him to do the same.

Except, like the idiot he was, he just stood there like an immovable wall. Just a second ago he was hiding behind Law, afraid of a harmless dead body, and now he stood tall and unafraid against an _actual_ threat.

Law made a sharp gesture that was ignored with obvious refusal and the growl at the back of his throat was barely caught in time. Unable to yell at his boyfriend and too late to grab and shake sense into him, Law just pushed further back against the tiled wall of the kitchen area just out of sight from anyone walking in.

The steps were closer now, very clearly directed their way. Law’s hand reached into his pocket, drawing out his knife. About the size of a scalpel, with a thin handle, long blade, and pointed tip. It didn’t have the same build as other weapons of its kind but it's been Law’s favorite for years. Usually, people looked for a heavy-duty knife with a good grip and strong steel to withstand pressure. Instead, Law chose this blade because of the opposite; a smooth handle allowed for better manipulation and the metal itself was of softer alloy, making it more delicate yet sharper. This weapon was not for aimless slashing but precise cuts. And with his knowledge, he knew exactly where to start.

A pair of slouched shoulders passed through the arched doorway, dull orange in the dim light. The tall frame pauses just inside the kitchen as the person inevitably comes across Luffy. The form looked familiar to Law, but he couldn’t place it just yet without seeing the face.

It was clear that this person recognized Luffy though, as, in the next second, a voice groaned in complaint. “Oh,” it drew out. “You’re not where you’re supposed to be.”

“Who’re you?” Luffy asked.

The man scratched his stubble beard in a way that struck a memory in Law. “And I _just_ got out of a relaxing bath. This is problematic.” Suddenly, he knew exactly who this was, the pieces falling in place with lightning speed. A cold blanket of rage settled over him as well as a sense of fear because Law should have known, should have expected it.

Kizaru Borsalino shouldn’t have been a surprise.

Luffy didn’t know much about Akainu other than his despicable deeds involving murder and coverups, he certainly wouldn’t have met the marine’s coworker/ friend. While Akainu had been the one to light fires and pull triggers, Kizaru was probably behind every scene; the source of information and partner to every crime.

The marine admiral sighed like this was a major inconvenience. It would have reminded Law of Kuzan with how lazy he was, but unlike Aokiji who just didn’t have energy, Kizaru never cared. He’d never been sympathetic to the suffering of others. He was disrespectful to everyone he thought was underneath him, condescending and downright insulting to Cora too. Now it was clear just how in line he was with Akainu’s ideals.

“Oi, answer my question!”

“Akainu wouldn’t want you to leave here. So now _I_ have to deal with it.” His hand reached back as he spoke, and Law was aware that this man would have been armed. The threats weren’t just for show; a good friend of Akainu wouldn’t hesitate to kill like him.

Like hell would Law give him the chance.

While there were definite benefits to attacking someone from behind, many stab wounds were not immediately fatal. Even if Kizaru wasn’t as tall, slashing at the neck was difficult to do by surprise when you had to reach around to get to it and other arteries of choice needed much more precision. Law needed a bigger target, somewhere it would hurt the most; let shock take most of the fight out of him. He needed this fight to end quickly.

Five organs were considered vital for survival; the heart, brain, lungs, liver, and kidneys. The kidneys were large, harder to miss, full of nerves and blood, but fatalities were less common and a person was capable of surviving with just one kidney. The liver was more protected just within the rib cage, segmented naturally by the hepatic vein, but if Law could puncture it, the bleed out would be quick. Any laceration in the liver would need to be repaired through surgery within two hours or the risk of mortality increased exponentially.

In such dire situations, Law had little time to make his choice and lunged. Kizaru already had his palm on the handle of his pistol, pulling it from the marine issued holster. It wasn’t fully free by the time Law struck but the man had better senses than expected, or perhaps the man was smart enough to put together Luffy’s presence meant Law’s wouldn’t have been far. Something must have given him away because Kizaru started to twist his body around to meet him. Instinctively trying to dodge the incoming attack.

The blade was turned horizontally to make it through the ribs and Law felt the resistance of skin and fat and bone, knowing his thrust had hit its mark - but was it enough? His aim between the third and fourth ribs had been off-course due to the body’s last-minute shift, so he couldn’t tell. Kizaru sucked in a quick breath, a reaction to the pain, but also in preparation for an attack. His twist allowed him to catch the doctor’s body with an arm around his waist, and momentum from Law’s own leap was used against him as Kizaru’s strength picked him up and sent him flying across the kitchen.

Kitchen cabinets caught his fall, and Law landed sideways across the dirty tile, trying to catch his breath. It hurt, but he was able to lift himself with no problem and he realized that he still had hold of his knife, blood on the blade. Good, it meant the wound he left would be freely bleeding, and if he was lucky, the movement and toss would have torn the entry wound on his way.

There was something he landed uncomfortably on, a lump he identified as an old leather shoe, which was attached to a jean-clad leg… which belonged to a dead body. He was practically in the dead man’s lap and even if he had been desensitized to death as a doctor, this was a little too close to that memory of bodies closing around him as a child. He scrambled to sit up, trying to move even faster as sounds from a fight registered.

His eyes focused back on Kizaru and Luffy, the latter throwing punches. The marine was injured and it showed; his back stooped over and body backpedaling from the fighter’s attacks with less coordination than normal. Even still, this was an admiral, the man was supposed to be deadly in a fight. He blocked a few hits that came his way before lashing out with a kick to put distance between them. Luffy wasn’t deterred; he was known for his relentless offense, and the kick grazed him as he turned, coming back into Kizaru’s space to punch him in the side where he’d left himself open - as close to the fresh stab wound as possible.

Kizaru howled in pain, stumbling back towards the counters and resorted to using his environment as a tool, putting a stool in between them, and then picking up a stainless steel tray with various surgery tools on it to throw. Luffy put his arms up just in time to avoid a hit to the head but that second of reprieve was all Kizaru needed to finally reach for his gun again. He successfully pulled it from the leather holder and raised it to aim but yet again, Law was behind him to prevent it. This time, he scooped down low, slashing his knife across the back of his left knee.

His leg collapsed, the marine barely caught himself with his hands, and the gun was sent spinning away from him. “Fuck,” Kizaru cursed. Law didn’t think he’d ever heard the man do that before.

“Don’t move,” Law ordered.

Luffy was the only one able to see the marine’s face and he made a small noise of concern. “He’s gonna pass out.”

In the next moment, Kizaru did fall forward, a soft thump as he hit the tile, and Law moved to stand over him. One hand was holding the knife close to the jugular, the other frisked the body quickly to find more weaponry. He took a yellow phone from the man’s pocket, a wallet, and keys then felt for a pulse. The yellow and black suit he wore was a dull ugly orange under the dim lights of the kitchen but it was ironed straight and cut tailored to fit. Dark red stained the back, seeping through the fabric steadily, and now pooled around the leg where Law had hit a vein.

“Luffy, call your brother, tell him to get an ambulance here as fast as possible, then I need you to help me stem the bleeding.” The doctor said this with all the confidence of a surgeon ruling the operating theater. His hands tore at fabric to see the source of the bleeding and he found a kitchen towel to place over it, putting pressure. This was very unlike a regular surgery however, and Law noticed his hands shaking in a way they never did on the job.

There were no gloves on his hands, he was covered in the blood of a man he tried to kill, and with every second it looked like he was going to succeed. Dimly, he heard Luffy following his instructions but still jumped in surprise when the fighter kneeled next to him afterward to help put pressure on the leg wound.

Their shoulders brushed and in the quiet a sudden bubble of inappropriate laughter built in his chest. “Looks like I didn’t need Doflamingo’s pistol after all.”

He was a monster who could kill without it.

Glancing at him, Luffy growled. “Don’t.” He pressed against Law’s shoulder with his own. “He was going to kill both of us. And if you didn’t stop him, he would have.”

“You could have just knocked him out-”

“You know he had a gun, right?” There was no way he could have missed it, and the voice was full of sarcasm. “He could have just as easily shot me before I got to punch him and what if that didn’t work? Or what if it _did_ and he died anyway?”

“Sure,” Law’s stomach soured. “But that wasn’t what happened. What happened was I stabbed a man in fatal locations on purpose which I’m pretty sure constitutes as murder.”

“You’re not a murderer.” Luffy refuted. It was a statement that left no room for argument. “If this guy dies, it’s his fault.”

That laugh finally burst through in a dark chuckle. “He stabbed himself in the back?”

“We are in a room with _three other bodies_ , Torao! Bodies he put here! If he lives he’s going to rot in jail, if he dies, it’s because we stopped him from killing more people!”

Those words echoed in the kitchen as Luffy yelled them as if the louder he spoke the more Law would believe it, even though the doctor was right next to him. In the silence afterward, Law’s hands slowly started to steady and even though he continued to look down at what he was doing, he was hyper-aware of Luffy beside him.

Their breathing was still harsh from the fight, and time seemed to flow strangely as the seconds ticked by. Seconds that meant life or death to the criminal they were trying to keep alive.

“I love you.”

Holy fuck. Really? Law chose _now_?

All this time of trying to say it! The missed opportunities that would have been perfect, the moments in which Luffy’s easy affection could have been returned with three little words. All the effort and all the failure. And now it just comes out, no filter, no planning, no _nothing_.

Luffy snorted next to him, shoulders bumping as he tried not to laugh and yet couldn’t help it. “You have the absolute worst timing.”

“We could have died,” Law said like it was any kind of defense.

“Tell me again on the next date…” His chuckles died in the next second. “Ah, let’s not count this as a date.”

“Seconded.”

It didn’t take long after that for Sabo’s team and the medics to arrive, especially as they had all been on standby. Sabo took them aside while Kizaru was swarmed by the trauma team. Soon he was transported to the hospital where hopefully someone could save him. Law almost wanted to go with them and be that surgeon but he knew he couldn’t, and shouldn’t.

When the blond deemed them safe, they were told to leave the bathhouse and return to the entry of the resort, allowing for a full sweep of the main house. Had the ‘mission’ gone according to plan then Law and Luffy would have been gone with their evidence. Now, it was a bit harder to make a clean/ quiet getaway.

Momonosuke was found to be safe with his family, which made Luffy feel like it was all worth it, and Law couldn’t help but agree. They watched from the bottom steps as Sabo’s team took them away in batches so they could be safe (and be observed). They both showed signs of exhaustion, still covered in blood.

“Zoro said that Kaido’s left. He looked really angry after getting a call and then stopped the fight. You think he’s coming here?” Luffy asked.

Law shook his head, waving vaguely at the three black body bags laid out on the ground nearby with one hand, the other one was trying to get access to Kizaru’s phone. “He’d be stupid to come here. There is not a paper trail to show he owns this place, which is why it was so hard to find in the first place. The resort is under Momonosuke’s name.”

The fighter’s nose wrinkled in distaste. “What does that mean for Momonosuke then?”

“Sabo’s investigation will clear it up. At least now, we know he can’t make more SAD. And hopefully doesn’t have any stashed somewhere else.” Also, the drug could be studied now; they would have time to go through the lab where the drug was made, analyze and look over everything, determine its exact makeup and-

Kizaru’s phone vibrated in his hand with an incoming message and Law was only able to read part of it without full access.

> _Wano compromised. 30 seconds until…_

Well, that didn’t sound good.

He jerked up from his seat and took off at a run up the steps, Luffy yelling in confusion behind him. “Sabo!” Law called. The steps seemed to take forever to climb and his mind counted the seconds lost, his legs pushing him to run faster as he got to the central courtyard. He whipped overgrown branches out of the way as he passed the cabins to either side, sprinting for the bathhouse. “Sabo! Get out!”

He caught sight of blond hair and the man turned his way at the sound of his name. The timer in the back of his mind had seconds left as the agent understood, already beginning to run Law’s way, calling back to his team to follow but there wasn’t enough time…

It was hard to slow to a stop after running full tilt but Law’s boots slid on the bricks as he got close enough to snatch Sabo’s wrist. The man still had his face turned to the bathhouse, shouting orders. His sentence was cut off with a yelp as Law pulled him and they both fell to the ground just as the explosion went off. The building seemed to burst, walls and beams and columns unable to hold the heat and pressure of a bomb going off inside of it, buckling at the seams.

A blast of fire and shrapnel flew over Law and Sabo’s head, the very air blown away in a concussion of sound, they didn’t have time to fully cover their heads, but thankfully nothing hit them. The same couldn’t be said for their ears though and Law’s rang with a sharp tinnitus that drowned out everything else.

As the initial explosion dissipated, the air returned and the burning heat at their backs receded. Law dared to look up and see how they fared. Sabo shifted next to him, tentatively sitting up to survey the damage as well. The bathhouse was in flames, such old traditional architecture made only of wood had little resistance to fire and it blazed even hotter as they sat there. Sabo started putting at his shoulder to get them further away and Law stumbled to follow.

“ _Torao_! Sabo!”

Sounds came to him as if he were underwater and Law hoped this loss of hearing was only temporary. Even still, he heard the terror in Luffy’s voice and turned to put him at ease. The fighter reached them at full speed, wrapping his arms around them both and burying his face into Law’s shoulder.

The arm around his waist was uncomfortably tight but Law didn’t mind. He found himself even more drained than before and he brought his arms up to cradle the fighter’s head soothingly, leaning into him. Beside him, Sabo was also trapped in the embrace and returned Luffy’s hug with a tight one of his own, which included part of Law.

“I’m gonna fucking kill him.” Luffy snarled into his shirt like an animal lost to rage.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm still kicking! Sorry for the wait! 
> 
> Thank you for all the encouragement, everything is so turbulent lately but I'm happy to see people are doing well and that reading this story helps even a little bit. I know I've been anticipating other authors' works too, they give me lots of joy!
> 
> Hope you like the chapter, it's one of the longer ones but we're closing in and I'm going to cut this at 30. No worries though, all the little stories in the back of my head are getting written down to go into a little sequel/ collection. These next few chapters will be interesting!


	28. Moonlight - Chapter 28

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Luffy made messes wherever he went, and with no self-control, he usually made bad situations worse, but he always tried to clean it up. He was the one people came to for help, not the other way around, not when it came to stuff like this. 
> 
> But Torao had always been different.

Generally, Luffy didn’t feel the need to hide his emotions. He had his pride, and while he didn’t think crying meant weakness, he had people who relied on him to keep his shit together. So, certain things like the mess of anxiety after the fire, or the fear/ sadness of losing his loved ones that sent him into a panic, he bottled up so that nobody would worry about him. After all, he was known for his cheery disposition; any deviation from that norm had some loud effects when the others noticed.

He never thought he’d be so angry that he’d have to hide that too. Luffy liked to believe he wasn’t an angry person. He didn’t have much self-control and usually punched things before really thinking it through, so it was a good thing that most offenses rolled off his back like water. 

It hadn’t always been like that. Shanks was the one to teach him forgiveness. He’d taught him what it meant to be human: capable of the most heinous crimes, and yet carry the most profound love. People made mistakes. You could either accept and try to right it or perpetuate the chain of wrong-doings. 

In simple terms,  _ shit happens _ , and  _ Hakuna Matata _ is a wonderful phrase. 

However, if you continued thinking that way about everything, nothing would change, and Luffy has always looked at the world and felt like it could be so much more. He never said that he was a hero; it just so happened that the things he wanted to change made the world a better place. Those changes also came to be through violence too. He punched corrupt politicians, stole food, and sometimes money from the rich, broke the law several times (and there had been a couple of assault cases against him). Whatever the consequences, it hardly made him think twice.

What he was getting at was  _ anger _ and  _ Luffy  _ did not mix. And right now, he had a whole lot of it. He couldn’t forgive Akainu for killing Ace’s family and almost taking his brother with them. He couldn’t forgive Kaido for killing many of Sabo’s team (and, again, his  _ brother _ too). And both of them had been partners with Doflamingo, who almost killed Torao.

_ Torao _ , who had run straight towards a bomb to save Sabo -  _ and if his brother hadn’t been just at the front entry _ \- had they been  _ any _ closer, then he could have lost them  _ both _ . 

It may be challenging to get Luffy angry, but one sure-fire way to do it was to hurt those he cared about. Akainu and Kaido pushed all the wrong buttons and gave him so much incentive to kick their asses that his fists were shaking with the need to strike at something.

Why did he have to wait a day and a half to fight Kaido? Why couldn’t he just go and settle this whole thing right now? Beat him black and blue and put him down in the dirt where maybe the mud and blood would humble him. Kick Akainu off his high horse of justice while he was on a roll so the marine bastard could get a new perspective. 

If he didn’t end up killing them (which was becoming more and more possible with every breath that fueled Luffy’s hatred).

With a jerk of his hand, he turned off the spray of the showerhead and left the glass stall. He had the temperature set to cold, thinking it would help, but it did nothing to put out the fire in his chest. He felt so wound up it was like he could snap, and yet calmly toweling himself off seemed a world away from where he was. He dressed mechanically and left the bathroom, expecting Law to be in bed.

It was ridiculously late by now, after they spent so much time at the Wano Resort, after he finally felt comfortable enough to part from Sabo, they got home, ate takeout, and washed the blood off...

Torao wasn't there, and Luffy couldn't think about laying down with so much energy writhing under his skin without him, so he left their bedroom to go downstairs. He found him sitting on the sofa with the lights dimmed, a fresh cup of coffee in front of him. The doctor had the first shower, looking particularly disturbed by the blood on his bare hands, so he was clean and looking soft in his pajama pants.

His tattoos were there for all to see, and Luffy always liked to look at them, but blossoming bruises along his back disrupted the peaceful picture. There were bandaids on Torao’s palms too, where he’d scraped them on the bricks after he and Sabo had fallen. They were small injuries in the scheme of things that  _ could have been _ , but it still made his insides boil to see. It served as a reminder of how close it was.

Last he heard from Sabo’s update an hour ago, Kizaru had survived surgery but was still in critical condition. Luffy didn’t know how to feel about that other than relief for Torao’s sake. He’d been so shaken up about Jack’s death, if only because he thought  _ he _ had killed him, so he understood why Law was so worried. Much like Jack’s death wasn’t Luffy’s fault, Kizaru’s wouldn’t have been Torao’s. Hopefully, he’s made that point clear to the doctor because the man already had such a dark opinion about himself.

His form was bent over in a slump with his elbows supported by his knees; his hands warmed by the steaming cup between them. "Not tired?" Luffy asked.

It was common that Law would stay up late, but he at least liked to try and fight his insomnia. He had work tomorrow, and if he had to take the prescribed medication given to him to be well-rested for it, he would. Now, it looked like he was determined to stay awake, despite the slightly red eyes with shadows underneath and the hunched form that spoke of how tired he was.

The man stared at his coffee in a way that Ace did when he tried not to pass out due to his narcolepsy. Dazed, slow to react, Law shook his head in response to Luffy's question. "I don't think I'd have good dreams."

The world seemed to narrow further, and Luffy held his breath to calm the sudden emotion welling in his chest again.

Law would never be ‘cured’ of his PTSD fueled parasomnia, but Luffy helped to manage it. Waking him up at the first stirrings of restlessness, or just offering solidarity with his quiet presence when Law couldn't help but panic. These nightmares still happened, but Law told him it wasn't as frequent as before. Many of his triggers involved not feeling  _ safe _ , as if he were being hunted, or left abandoned and alone. Luffy provided a sense of security he trusted; to hold onto him and fight for him.

Now, the man was afraid of going to sleep, and it felt like a setback. Like it was just another thing Akainu and Kaido have done to them and one more thing Luffy needed to  _ eradicate _ . Because Law was right in being afraid, Akainu attacked people in their homes and went after any weakness he could find and -

Instead, he came to sit next to Law, putting an arm up to rest along the back of the couch and carefully taking the mug of coffee out of his hands to put safely on the table. As much as his boyfriend loved the dark bitter drink, he used it as a stimulant to sharpen his senses and keep him awake too often. It wouldn’t help him relax.

And when he got close, Luffy could feel how tense he was; shoulders and back hunched and knotted - no doubt Law would have trouble sleeping like this anyway, despite the probable nightmares. As a fighter who spent a lot of the time training his body, he knew how painful it must be too. He thought about what would help, and ideas began building up in his mind.

“Want to play some games?”

“ _ You _ should sleep, Luffy,” Law argued. “Go to bed.”

“Go for a run?”

Tired yellow eyes rolled in dismay, but he leaned back into the half embrace Luffy created, and when he tipped his head back, it rested in the crook of Luffy’s arm. “I’m too exhausted.”

With a little pout, Luffy shifted to swing his leg over the doctor’s lap, the man automatically accommodating him with open arms and hands that planted themselves on his hips. Now that the coffee mug wasn’t warming them, the cold fingers sought Luffy’s warm temperature instead. They felt nice on his overheated skin, but Luffy’s pout remained when he noticed Law’s eyes had just closed, not even phased by Luffy’s sudden invasion of his space. 

This bastard was getting too used to Luffy’s behaviors. Or at least, he’d typically have the energy to complain about being purposefully disobeyed or Luffy throwing himself onto him like his weight meant nothing. “Let’s do something  _ else _ then.” He emphasized slyly.

“What, don’t tell me you want to watch that dumb series you and Usopp are getting inspired by.”

Luffy rolled his eyes, scoffing at the complete miss in communication. “No, dummy.” He was blanking on all those cheesy pickup lines he’s heard over the years, who knew he’d ever need them? The situation made him chuckle. “Naturally, the one time I make a sex reference, nobody gets it.”

Law’s eyebrows rose, and his lips tilted up in a smirk. “Nobody expects those jokes from you, and I doubt anyone will believe me if I told them you made one.”

With a huff, Luffy leaned in to nuzzle at the column of Torao’s bare throat, biting down while his hands soothed meaningfully down his boyfriend’s torso. “I wasn’t joking,” he growled, irritated by the assumption that he  _ couldn’t _ make passes because he was asexual or whatever. Sex was a thing to do just like jogging or playing video games, and Luffy could want it sometimes, couldn’t he?

The hands-on his hips gripped tighter, and when Luffy looked up at him, he saw his boyfriend’s expression turn thoughtful, those eyes pierced through him like he was looking for something, calculating long equations. As smart as Law was, Luffy was a little nervous about what he was thinking so hard about regarding a simple suggestion.

For a moment, the fighter worried that he’d gone about this all wrong; maybe he hadn’t read the atmosphere right or was too aggressive. He never wanted to hurt Torao, and he still didn’t know what he was doing when it came to this kind of intimacy. The idea to start something like this had seemed like a good one, but maybe Law was  _ too _ tired or sore.

He pulled back in embarrassment, however, before he could get anywhere, his lips were captured in a kiss. The pressure against his mouth was harsher than their normal gentle affections; it spoke of desire, and Luffy’s worries cleared as Law made his answer known. It was undoubtedly a language Luffy was still learning, but he felt the tender love and want behind it, and it made him giddy (and greedy) to have all that affection. 

Torao was a great kisser, and even if Luffy didn’t care for heavy make-outs, the way the man tugged at his bottom lip and curled his tongue was excellent. He tasted sweet (like salted caramel from his coffee) when Luffy opened his mouth to him, and he closed his eyes to concentrate on the movements, returning the motions as they swayed like waves on the shore. 

There was a passion behind their kiss that escalated, with Law becoming more enthusiastic and less languid as it went on, it was like he couldn’t keep their lips apart, his whole body was like a magnet pulling Luffy closer each time he came back for more. His body tingled with the tight caresses Torao started along his sides, and it tickled just enough that he squirmed in the man’s lap, stimulating them both. 

Despite the small breaths in between kisses, Luffy was panting when they finally parted, and the blood pumping could be felt collecting down below, until just the brush of his pajamas as he moved created a heightened sensation of pleasure.

A light breathless laugh met Luffy’s ears as Law’s mouth continued to leave hot kisses down his throat. “You are so unpredictable.”

“Is that good?” 

“It’s frustrating as fuck,” Law stated, his lips planted just by his ear were shaped in a smile. “But also entertaining, and admirable, and hot.” 

Luffy grinned and couldn’t help but tease. “And lovable?”

“Shut up.”

He snorted, leaning in to laugh into Law’s shoulder. The movement rocked his hips, and he could feel that both of them sported erections. It reminded him that their few previous encounters had Law doing all the work. Well, the fighter wanted to be a more active participant this time, especially when he felt the bandages on Torao’s palms and recalled the bruised back. 

Hesitantly, Luffy’s hands started to wander. They had been too still on the doctor’s shoulders this whole time, he’d forgotten about them, but now he moved them with intent. 

His fingers traced ink like they have so many times before. By now, he’d be able to do that with his eyes closed, but there was something so soothing about it. If he had the whole night, he’d be content just to do this, but Law’s body was tuned to the touch differently now. With the promise of more to come, even the gentle tracing felt more sexual, and Luffy continued his contact beyond idle motions.

He figured he would begin with something he knew; playing with touch and setting the pace. It felt a bit like reading from a script, a little impersonal as he aimed directly for areas that would bring pleasure. He remembered the reaction Torao had to nipple play and started there, rolling his palms across them and lightly scratching as he dragged his hands down to the edge of his pants. 

Law’s responses led all of his actions, so when the man under him moaned, and the hands around him urged him on, he complied. Shifting himself so he could get a better angle into Torao’s pants. 

His first touch was met with a little buck of the hips that kind of bounced Luffy in place, and he smiled up at his boyfriend a tad mischievously. That small motion broke some of the tension building as Luffy crossed into a territory he was unfamiliar with, and it gave him more confidence that he was doing something right. After all, his focus was to make the man feel good, and he threw himself into that task with all the determination he could muster.

Torao was hot and heavy in his palm, soft and smooth skin that didn’t seem real to Luffy’s touch, but maybe that was because his mind hadn’t caught up with the fact that he was holding someone else’s penis in his hand. Still, he was fascinated with the subtle differences and similarities he had with the familiar anatomy and thanked his weird luck that the one person he loved enough to do this with had the same equipment he did. 

He’d be even more lost if he had to navigate something completely different.

A moan brought him back to what he was doing, and Luffy tried to get a comfortable angle to work with. His next stroke was made with firm purpose and followed with a rhythm of others that got Law to close his eyes in pleasure. Torao’s noises of appreciation were small, but Luffy earned every one, and he leaned in to better feel those moans against his lips, swallowing the whispered plea in the form of his name. 

Law’s hands started to pull on Luffy’s pants too, the elastic band stretching and catching on his erection as it gathered around his thighs. The bunched fabric got in the way, but both of them were too consumed with their actions for Luffy to get up and take them off properly, so they worked around it. Hands on Luffy’s ass made the younger man a lot more vocal, the grip Law used to pull him closer was deliciously rough, and it brought his dick closer to Law’s so that he could attempt to wrap his hand around them both.

When Law’s hand joined, it was like the sensations multiplied tenfold. Luffy didn’t masturbate much, but he was used to his own hand, adding a new touch was almost overwhelming, and the fighter lost his concentration and pace as Law took over. The doctor’s hand partially overlapped his, so they followed each other as Torao sped up their strokes, tightening their fists at the same time. 

His eyes were closed in pleasure, but he could still feel Law’s mouth moving against his own. There wasn’t much coordination as Luffy’s ability to kiss and move his hand and quiet his moans to an acceptable/ less embarrassing level deteriorated. It was like he couldn’t multitask, and he couldn’t even blush as Law made a comment about how loud he was; either his whole face was red from the exertion already, or he had no blood to spare that wasn’t pooled in his dick.

Coming was like a whiteout - like a TV stuck on the fuzzy signal, the world narrowed to every pass of their hands moving faster and faster, and Luffy held his breath as the pleasure crested over.

On the other side of the peak, his body shook with the aftershocks, and he almost tipped over to drape bonelessly against Law before he noticed movement still happening between him. With what little mind power he had, he made his hand resume its motion, stroking Law to completion soon after.

Both of them panted in the silence of their dark living room, and Luffy slowly became aware enough to notice that sex was a messy activity to have on the couch, and he’d have to change his pants again. His eyes landed on the lax expression Law had on. The man’s entire body melted into the sofa, and Luffy felt proud and accomplished; this was precisely the outcome he’d been hoping for really.

He found that his clean hand had left little marks on the man’s shoulder from his nails, and he frowned, brushing against them to discover that they were soft impressions that would fade soon enough. Then he came up to thread through Law’s soft and fluffy hair, giving little kisses to the man’s cheek and jaw; anywhere he didn’t have to move much to reach. 

Exhaustion took over, and a big yawn interrupted his affections, causing Torao to chuckle. The doctor moved his head with Luffy’s gentle tugs of his hair, like a cat enjoying pets (he’d kill Luffy for thinking that). “Let’s go to bed.”

“Okay,” Luffy replied sleepily. 

Neither of them moved though, both too comfortable to get up just yet. A hand trailed up, and down his side, so it seemed like Law would allow it for a bit longer. Until the need to clean up got to him. 

With his head still bent down, he couldn’t see Torao’s face, but he was glad for it when the man spoke next. “Are you feeling better? You’ve been out of your head since we got home.”

It turns out Luffy hadn’t done a very good job of hiding his anger after all. 

“Yeah. I’m fine.” His voice didn’t sound convincing, he was never a good liar, but Law nodded like he was given the expected answer, a motion he could feel.

Maybe they knew each other too well, because while Luffy saw Law’s fear for what it was, the doctor seemed to see through him also; to the jumbled mess of emotions inside.

“As unpredictable as you are, and as much as I love that… don’t go and do anything stupid.” That hit too close to the uncomfortable truth Luffy knew was all too possible. Whatever words of fake protest died before they were born as Torao tilted his head to nuzzle into his hair. “At least, not without me.”

Slowly, as those words processed, Luffy relaxed again, and his face was pushed further into his boyfriend’s shoulder to hide. Something settled inside of him after hearing that. It may have been obvious that they were in this together, but Luffy hadn’t considered in all the ways their partnership extended. 

Luffy made messes wherever he went, and with no self-control, he usually made bad situations worse, but he always  _ tried  _ to clean it up. Problems that he’s made were his responsibility, but he didn’t know when to quit or ask for help when he got too deep - which happened relatively often. He was the one people came to for help, not the other way around, not when it came to stuff like this. 

But Torao had always been different. Since the beginning, he was there to pick him up when he stumbled, healed him, comforted him, and supported him. They saw each other at their best and their worst. It made it feel like they were on equal ground, so when Law told him he wasn’t alone, he  _ believed _ it because he knew it was true.

Torao  _ would  _ be there, no matter what - not just following Luffy, but walking with him side-by-side.

* * *

In the end, Law’s words of comfort had helped, but it did little to calm him down over the next day and a half. He was a being ruled by emotions, and he couldn’t manipulate how he felt just because he knew they weren’t helpful or healthy feelings to have. There was nothing more annoying than someone telling him to  _ “just be happy”  _ like it was a choice. Law seemed to understand that perfectly well, so he didn’t even try beyond the initial check of his psyche.

Instead, he watched Luffy try to train the anger out of himself, seeing his determination and simultaneously admiring and hating the man’s dedication. 

It was hard-earned, but Law trusted Luffy. Trusted him with everything he was; mind, body, and soul - but it was hard to trust the man with himself. That was fair, Luffy knew how reckless he was, which was why he didn’t complain when Law, Zoro, Nami, and Chopper seemed to team up to keep an eye on him.

The three most responsible for his health when it came to his fights helped to curb Luffy’s insanity, so he didn’t get hurt pushing himself. Even in the short time before this fight, the worst thing that could happen was if he pulled another muscle.

No matter how much he complained of that happening  _ only once _ in preparation for his fight against Katakuri. Nobody seemed to believe him. 

It was annoying, honestly. Luffy was trying to be patient, but he was never good at that, so they were lucky (if that’s what you could call it) that the fight was only a little less than forty hours later. One whole day and part of the morning - Luffy was as prepared as he was going to get. 

“Will you just stay still!” Chopper growled at him. The glare he sent up to Luffy was ferocious like he was trying to scare the fighter twice his size into submission. Although it was far from threatening and more in the realm of  _ cute _ , Luffy decided not to laugh and followed instructions to the best of his ability. A valiant effort for him, especially considering how split his attention span was currently. 

Everything was in chaos around him. Nami was directing/ yelling at some crew members, Zoro and Usopp were talking about the opposing side and who had arrived that they’d seen, and Law had just walked in from observing the stadium just above them. 

He almost turned to his boyfriend excitedly, stopping himself just in time to keep his hands still so Chopper could continue wrapping them. His little doctor friend focused on getting the bandages around his fingers and knuckles perfect, a technique that would allow for maximum flexibility and protection.

“Did you see all those people?” Usopp asked the question, and Law nodded in response. “We’re completely sold out. I can’t believe it!”

“Kaido vs. Luffy; the fight of the decade. The Beast, the terrifying champion that’s reigned for years - versus Straw-hat, the shining new star taking the world by storm.” Torao’s voice was dry. “The announcers are hyping it up.”

“You know, we have more people from the media here too. Luffy’s gonna be live on so many channels this time.”

“Good!” Luffy barked. “They’ll all see me kick his ass.” Chopper switched to his other hand, and Luffy opened and closed the finished one to test the give. No issue, like always. Sanji past by him and sat a bottle of water within reach along the way. 

No matter how tense and angry he was, it still made him happy to see his friends work together, doing what they did best. He was lucky to have all of them. “Hey, hey, you should record for our channel too!”

Usopp looked surprised. “Why? They’d have all their fancy equipment and-”

“So? I’d much rather watch something of yours!”

“W-well, that’s…” Usopp’s face grew flustered as he stuttered, but he cleared his throat and seemed to put on an expression of confidence a second later. “Of course! I do have more subscribers, after all, you’d get way more views off of my recording. Just make sure you kick Kaido’s butt in style, ok? Can’t look lame for my five hundred million fans!”

They shared a laugh, brief but needed, and it helped lighten the atmosphere until Nami popped her head around the door frame to tell them to get ready.

The fighter was already sans shirt and shoes. His black shorts stopped just before the knees, red stripes along the sides, and a logo on the bottom, a skull wearing a straw hat. Muscles rolled beneath the skin as Luffy rolled his shoulders to keep them lax, and sweat was already beading on his forehead after his warmups, black wavy hair dampening and swaying with his movement.

No amount of insulation could damper the noise from the pre-event show happening above, accompanied by the deep bass of powerful music and the announcer’s loud voice through the speakers. If Luffy concentrated, he’d be able to hear every word of the songs played, plus the host’s voice in competition with it. The rest was white background noise, but it was the sound of thousands of people making up the audience, and their presence felt heavy to him. 

He imagined the ancient coliseums of old where people bet on the lives lost, making money from the suffering of others, screaming for more blood, or a better fight. Unlike so many others in this sport, Luffy didn’t do this for their sake. He never needed their approval, though there was a time he’d do anything for even a little attention. Maybe this was entertaining to them, but for Luffy, it had always been something more. This time, it meant a whole lot more.

“Do you think Kaido took that SAD stuff?” He asked, not looking away from Chopper’s work on his hand.

“I don’t know,” Law replied. “It’s best to be prepared if he has. Not just for this fight, but for after, if things go bad, like with Jack.”

“He’s willing to die to beat me.”

While that was true, he knew it was less about Luffy in particular as it was about strength in general. Kaido had asked for and funded the creation of SAD to utilize its effects. If the champion thought himself invincible enough to take it before the trials were over, it meant he was suicidal enough to not care about the consequences.

“He has nothing else to live for. You do.” Torao’s voice wavered as he said the last part, probably so only Luffy would hear, and it was such a  _ sappy  _ thing to say - almost out of character of him to anyone else. But it made Luffy smile; a wild and honest grin coming to him as he looked up to find Law blushing. Maybe that was his intention all along; the slight embarrassment worth it to see Luffy with that expression. 

“Yep!”

Nami came back with a knock on the door to get their attention. It was all the signal they needed to know the show was on. 

The others followed him as he stepped out to the small service hall that led to the backstage door, and with every step he took, the noise before him grew louder. He stopped before the exit where a crew member waited, timing his dramatic entrance just right. It didn’t take long. The earpiece he had must have helped communicate with the announcer, because the next thing he knew, his name was being yelled out through every speaker.

The door opened for him, and a wall of sound hit with a roar; people’s screaming and cheering rose in volume as he came into sight. Cameras were already in his face, recording every move he made to the big screens and on air. With every confident stride, he wondered at how warped this sport had become. Why couldn’t MMA return to its roots where the focus was on appreciating offense and defense, technique, and talent?

As he came to the stadium’s center, he already knew the answer: Kaido, (and people like him) who never used his title for anything else than a display of power over others. There was no meaning to it. He stood there as a symbol of corruption to a passion Luffy held so dear, a black mark on what it meant to be a champion - like he dared to be equal in status to Shanks when he was so  _ wrong _ .

Shanks as champion had been an inspiration, someone who helped and encouraged growth and loved a good challenge. He never belittled Luffy, even when he was a kid asking for a spar, leagues behind, and yet praised for his efforts. 

Kaido looked down at him like he was nothing but an annoying bug. 

Like any other fight before, the two opponents came together in the middle of the ring as if in some form of comradery or respect. It was a tradition Luffy never minded; he liked seeing his opponents as  _ human _ . Obviously, this man didn’t think the same.

“Finally,” The Beast growled. “I see the face of the little punk who thinks he can beat me.”

“Yeah,” Luffy agreed. “We get to finish this.”

Kaido visibly gritted his teeth in anger. “Finish? This is just the beginning of what I’ll do to you and your friends.”

Before Luffy could think of what to respond with a mic was put into his face, and whatever he would have said probably shouldn’t be aired. “Any words for each other?” Someone asked, the words echoing just milliseconds across all speakers of the stadium. 

The rage inside of him was bubbling to the surface again. Another threat to the people he loved and Luffy could barely contain himself. He shook his head roughly, eyes locked on Kaido’s with intensity. “No more talking.” 

He just wanted to fight.

His opponent agreed. The person holding the mic between them seemed to feel the tension as they looked from one silent figure to the other. “O-Ok looks like the match is set!”

Luffy brought his hands up and got into his stance, Kaido remained standing without form. More dramatics around him preceded the bell, but Luffy wasn’t distracted. His body shook with the need to move, and his breathing became more labored just from the hot sensation of anger in his veins. 

When the signal rang, Luffy moved before its echoes finished. He dashed the few feet between them and threw a punch that connected at the man’s cheek. The force sent Kaido back, and Luffy pressed on with another blow, then a sidekick to his middle, continuing his momentum into a lower sweep of the leg. 

In those few seconds of successful hits, Kaido hadn’t bothered to put up much of a defense, and he’d stumbled back at the strength Luffy had used in each one. Even his expression changed to one of pain, and blood was already spilled with the skin of his cheek splitting. This didn’t mean Luffy was winning, though. 

Katakuri had been able to take many similar hits before going down, powering through the strongest of Luffy’s attacks with a high threshold for pain. Kaido was the same.

Without letting up, Luffy continued in the offense. He spun to the side to attack open weaknesses; kidneys, lower back tailbone, the base of the neck. Kaido grunted and then fell to his knees at the last one, and Luffy jumped on his back to wrap an arm around the fighter’s neck in a hold.

Everything was moving so fast, and Kaido hadn’t put up much of a fight, it was almost disappointing and suspicious to Luffy. This was the champion, known to be the strongest, yet even Katakuri hadn’t been so easy. Luffy’s arm locked around the thick neck, long hair in his face, and short beard brushing his arm as he took a firm hold of his forearm and pulled back, squeezing without mercy. 

It was a headlock that would be hard to break free of, but Kaido did nothing in response to the smaller man wrapped around him, draped on his back. There was a count in the back of his head, a guess on how long the fighter could withstand the pressure and lack of oxygen before passing out, and time stretched. Luffy felt the burn of his muscles as he kept his arms tight, squeezing as hard as he could.

Maybe a minute at the most - it seemed to last forever - and Kaido finally moved. He started by standing up straight, taking Luffy with him. He reached an arm behind and latched onto Luffy’s ankle, maybe to try and pull him off, but Luffy’s hold didn’t budge. Then the man just fell back.

He purposefully fell in a way that Luffy hit the ground with all the force of gravity plus the weight of the man above, concentrated in a singular point; an elbow right in the middle of his abdomen, just under his solar plexus. It crushed the air from Luffy’s lungs, sent a spasm of pain up his spine, and caused the slightest give in his hold that Kaido took advantage of, pulling his ankle and rolling to the side.

The twist on his leg would have been dangerous if Luffy tried to keep his grip, and the position he was in on the ground was too risky for him to remain. He let go of his headlock and countered the spin to break the hold on his ankle, rolling in the opposite direction of Kaido to put distance between them, jumping to his feet quickly.

On the other side, Kaido got up with patience, looking like the near choke-out was nothing. It sent another spike of rage through Luffy. That hold would have done in any one given enough time and strength, it was a prime position to have been in, and if he hadn’t let go, maybe this would have been over. 

His chest burned with the aftershocks of the hit he took, and he growled at his own body for feeling pain at all. He shook it off, ignored the ache, and darted in to begin another round of attacks.

Kaido lifted an arm to block this time, actively defending himself and making it harder for Luffy to connect. He had to be careful of the man’s grabs, which happened a few times. They would back up to prowl around each other, Luffy looking for another opening and Kaido observing in wait. 

The round was called, and Luffy huffed at the forced pause. They each split apart to return to their sides of the court, and Luffy let Chopper talk to him without paying much attention. The doctor felt around his sternum to ensure no bones were broken and wiped at his brows. Law was next to the man, letting Tony work, but giving a pass with his eyes up and down Luffy’s body. He wasn’t part of the support team, so he stayed out of the way, but he was close enough to talk.

“It doesn’t look like he took any SAD.”

With a glance across the ring, Luffy’s eyes locked with Kaido’s who looked like the break was nothing but an inconvenience as he leaned against one of the four posts, arms crossed. A growl rumbled in his chest at the sight. “No. He didn’t,” Luffy replied. “Maybe he doesn’t need it.”

“I’d hate to see how strong he’d be with it.”

So would Luffy. 

“Don’t forget -” the bell cut off Law’s sentence. The rest period was over, and Luffy was all too happy to return to the center and begin anew.

This time, he tried for more power in his techniques. It’s not that he was lax in them before, but he always favored speed. In his fight with Katakuri, speed was what won, getting past the defenses and striking where it hurt. It was clear now that Kaido needed something much more. No amount of little hits would bring him down.

He was quickly running out of ideas, though. He’d been coming at Kaido with every move he knew, continuously putting everything he had into his attacks and landing them most of the time. However, Kaido was barely phased. He bled, he grimaced and grunted in pain, but then he’d stand up for more, and Luffy would hate the way the man looked at him as if to say,  _ is that it _ ?

With every prolonged attempt and failure, Luffy got more impatient. Kaido was still barely fighting back. Attacks from him were more reactionary to Luffy’s, consisting of punches that Luffy was able to block or take without much damage and kicks meant to break the chain of combinations Luffy would throw out. 

He had a lot of power, that was for sure. Luffy was already bleeding from his lip, and a clip to his hip bone was smarting. 

But then, finally, Luffy landed a hit that seemed to do something. 

While it wasn’t very practical to get fancy with any moves during fights like these (usually they left him open to attack), Luffy was ready to try anything at this point. So, after a few misdirections in his punches, he put as much momentum into his legs as he could to jump, spinning in the air to build up more force, and landing a kick directly to Kaido’s face.

There was a sharp grunt of surprise and pain, but unlike this time, Kaido’s body just collapsed. He fell to the matted floor with a deep thud Luffy could feel and stayed there. All around, the crowd seemed to hush, jaws dropping at the display of power and possible end to the biggest fight of the decade.

The referee rushed in, checking to see if it was a knock-out, and Luffy hoped it was because if any hard-hit took down a big man like The Beast, it would be that one. Such a perfect strike wouldn’t come twice, and that was the extent of Luffy’s power packed in one move.

Yet, Kaido proved that it wasn’t enough. He raised himself to his hands and knees, one arm pushing the referee out of the way like he was batting at a fly. He stood to his towering height and looked at Luffy with blood in his eyes and pouring from his left ear where Luffy’s foot made contact.

It must have hurt, at least, going by the look of anger on his face. If anything, Luffy had proved to be strong enough to put him down, and he hadn’t expected that from the young upstart challenger. Perhaps, if Luffy hadn’t made it so personal or public, Kaido would have been impressed. However, now it only meant he was a real threat that he’d have to put  _ effort _ into destroying. 

It caused something in Kaido to change, and Luffy suddenly knew the fight was going to get deadly. “Come on,” Luffy growled. Prepared for whatever Kaido was going to pull.

Hands up for defense and feet moving to keep him light, ready to move, Luffy came closer looking for a chance. Where before, Luffy was the one pacing around his prey, this time, it felt like two predators staring each other down.

Kaido wasn’t waiting patiently for him to make a move this time. 

The larger man lunged, and Luffy went to meet him halfway, both of them swung with their right, both of them hit their mark. Luffy had taken hits from him before, he made a calculated decision to push through; sacrifice blocking for a hit of his own.

He didn’t expect it to be so different this time.

Pain exploded at Luffy’s temple like a firecracker. 

He heard the sharp  _ crack _ of a fist hitting bone, and his eyesight sparked. He didn’t feel if his fist hit with any similar power, didn’t know if he even tried to keep balance as the world tipped and lurched under him. All he knew for that moment was his head being split open like a watermelon. 

He was freefalling for a moment, suspended in the air from the blow, knocked off his feet and sent flying.

His back hit the mat with a thump, his head following it, and even with the padded surface, the second jarring movement sent waves of screaming pain through him. Shocks of searing pain burned through his face, like ripples from the center; it had an effect on everything else - his ears rang, his nose stopped passing air, he tasted blood.

His whole body felt like it was floating, and gravity made no sense because his brain was  _ leaking, _ and his eyes were open but not seeing anything, just  _ white _ .

It figured that he would be if he were staring at the ceiling; bright stage lights glaring down would be nothing but a blanket of snow in his vision. That didn’t occur to Luffy though, and the pain at his temple - so close to his left eye - was so intense he wondered if he’d go blind.

None of it mattered, he’d continue to fight even if he had no eyes. 

Maybe he wasn’t blind but  _ dying _ , it's hard to tell when the sounds all around him distorted, and the lights he saw seemed to flicker and dull. He thought he heard his name called, but he was struggling to hold onto consciousness, couldn’t bear to pass out; it would be too much like giving up. 

Like he could just tell his brain to  _ get over it _ , plug the hole in his head and keep going. It couldn’t end like this! 

_ Was this the power of a champion? Was Kaido that much better than him?  _

Darkness crept along the sides of his vision.

And then the lights went out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lengths may vary at the end as I try to wrap it up, but it seemed like a perfect place to stop here. Sorry for the cliffhanger but you would have hated it if I stopped it further in :P
> 
> I also debated on putting in another sex-scene since the mood of the chapter was mostly tense/ angry thanks to Luffy, but I like the idea of Law being able to pacify Luffy sometimes (however rare it is). Also, it's the last of its sort for the story, so I wanted Luffy to get to a point that he felt comfortable with where they were on an intimate level.
> 
> Let me know what you think! Thanks for reading and stay safe!


	29. Moonlight - Chapter 29

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They were supposed to die as old men, with plenty of life and love behind them. Torao would have fucking laugh lines on his face if Luffy had anything to say about it!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: Active Shooter Vibes

_Luffy wasn’t as tense this time as he fell back to the bed in a pair of clean boxers, but that wasn’t to say he was altogether fine. The conversation with Torao downstairs was replaying in his mind and it sparked something in him that he couldn’t identify. He spread his arms and took up the bed-space, staring at the ceiling in quiet contemplation - certainly not his normal mood. “Torao, what happens if I beat Kaido?”_

_“If?” He heard, sensing more than seeing the doctor lay down next to him, trapping his arm beneath his body. The fighter just shifted to curl it around the man’s shoulders, content to be a pillow._

_“I mean… so what if I beat him at this competition? It’s not going to do anything. It won’t stop Kaido from being a criminal and certainly won’t do shit against Akainu. So, what’s the point?”_

_“They only have all this power because nobody thinks they can challenge them.”_

_“But it’s just a title,” Luffy’s voice shrunk as he said it. As if he hated the words as they left his mouth, because it wasn’t ‘just a title,’ not to him. To Luffy, it meant the world, but against enemies like Akainu, it was meaningless. And this was just another staged fight with dramatics and flare to the likes of Kaido._

_“Winning the title may not stop them, but this fight is the most important shot we have at taking them both down.” Luffy turned his head to look at him and the hope in his eyes made Law smile darkly in response. “There’s no better opportunity for Akainu to get everyone in one place. If he was to make a move, it will be then. When all of his prey are gathered together, he could take them out in one swoop.”_

_“Like the fire station,” Luffy mumbled in surprise, following along with the logic Law was laying out._

_“Something else will likely happen during your match with Kaido. The question is, what? And how do we prepare for it?”_

* * *

Oh, the lights _actually_ went out.

It was hard to tell when Luffy’s head was still swimming and he thought he had lost consciousness, but the sudden rise in volume as the audience panicked told him he hadn't. At first, he panicked too, thinking he was blind now that he'd stopped seeing anything.

Slowly, shadows started to move in familiar shapes and one figure, in particular, was leaning over him asking him questions. The referee couldn't tell if he was alive or not after taking such a hit, and Chopper scrambled to his side as well - appearing out of nowhere as Luffy's brain skipped like frames were missing in a movie.

"You awake, Luffy?"

"Yeah," He replied, but it sounded thick and his tongue wouldn't cooperate for more words so he left it at that.

The whole power must have gone out because he kept hearing crew members and workers yelling over the volume to calm people down. None of their microphones were working and their voices alone would do nothing over the thousands of others yelling in confusion.

Whether his eyes were open or closed, he couldn't see much of a difference, but maybe that was a good thing; he still felt like he was floating, but he wasn't dizzy or nauseous from moving colors. His body tilted in an effort to get up but his head complained as soon as he lifted it from the mat. He flinched at the radiating ache and even that small facial movement hurt.

Damn, what did Kaido do, break his face open?!

He groaned slightly as he ever so gently put his head back down, prepared to give it a little more time before trying again. “Chopper?”

The doctor placed a cold compress to the side of his head and Luffy hissed through his teeth. Past the first reaction of pain, it felt good, and he hoped it would bring some numbness to the area. “They’re seeing if the power can be brought back or if we need to evacuate.”

At the back of his mind, something was nagging at him.

“What about the fight?”

Would it be paused or canceled? Just a few more minutes and Luffy was confident that he'd be able to continue - the power could come back on (or he could fight in the dark, whatever) and by that point, he'd get his head to stop spinning.

“I… Don’t know.” The level of noise was steadily rising and Luffy didn’t know if it was an effect of the hit to his head, but there was a buzzing noise behind it.

Was he forgetting something?

“...ffy!”

He opened his eyes and tried to focus, seeing better now that they’ve adjusted to the dark. It wasn’t pitch black, so Chopper’s features came in clear; his worried expression genuine and kind. Just over his shoulder was the referee but other than checking to see if he needed special medical assistance, he turned back to the other employees to talk over the situation. Assuming they have some kind of emergency plan in place, getting anyone to calmly follow instructions to the exit without panic was nearly impossible.

_… Plan?_

“Luffy, _move_!”

With sudden clarity and a shock of adrenalin the last of the fog in his head disappeared, his gasp caught in his throat, and without thinking his body was already in motion. As much as it hurt when he tried to rise those few inches before, now it was like a spring. He lurched up and twisted in one fast move, curling himself over the surprised Chopper and pulling at his arms to get him to follow, in the uncoordinated flail.

In the middle of all the noise and commotion, a _crack_ sound echoed through the stadium; explosive and fairly distinctive. Underneath Luffy, the mat jerked as if something heavy fell onto it nearby and he was feeling the shockwaves. With a glance to where he was laying just a second ago his lungs froze in horror.

Even in the dark, it was unmistakable that a bullet had blown a decent-sized hole in the padded flooring where his head had been.

“Luffy-ya!”

For the third time, the call of his name shook something free inside of him. The gunshot had silenced the audience for a short period as they processed where it came from and what it was, but Luffy knew it was only a matter of time before they realized.

With a frantic pull, he dragged Chopper to the edge of the ring, crawling under the ropes and practically falling the distance down from the raised stage. His heart was beating so fast and his head throbbed with each one but he swore the organ skipped a beat when another shot rang out.

It sounded like it came from right next to him, but he knew the arena would make it hard to triangulate; it was built to echo sound to every corner of the place. It didn’t need fancy technology with a domed ceiling and open space to reflect noise.

And it could certainly do that job perfectly because with the second shot it was clear to everyone that it meant nothing good. It started with one scream and then there was just pandemonium. People started to rush out of their seats to the exits and the stampede was loud and forceful enough that Luffy could feel the vibrations through the floor with his bare feet on the concrete.

Luffy didn’t know where that second gunshot went and assumed - fucking hoped - that it missed hitting anyone. He pulled Chopper down to take some form of shelter from the stage itself, though he didn’t know from which direction the shooter was in. Looking around with his head down, he saw Law kneeling by the stage a few feet away and cautiously pushed Chopper in that direction, one hand on his friend’s head to keep it low. It made for an awkward stooped walk, but that didn’t matter when every sense he had waited for another gunshot.

“Torao, you ok?”

“Yes. I think he’s on the north side.” Law had to practically yell over the screams to be heard, despite them being so close.

North - that was Kaido’s side, so at least they were in a good place to avoid line of sight but… What now? The stage was surrounded by more open areas for support teams and equipment. Moving anywhere else would be making them vulnerable.

“W-what’s going on?” Chopper asked between them. “Is it happening?”

“Luffy! Law!” The two of them turned to see Nami hiding behind the wall made by the rise of the stands. She had a clear path down the service hall back to the locker rooms that she pointed at, but it didn’t look like the correct way to go when there was a cloying dark smoke barely noticeable coming from that way. “There’s a fire!”

Well, that was one route that was cut off. Fortunately, it was unlikely that the fire would spread quickly in a concrete and metal stadium designed to protect the many people within it from such dangers. The smoke also had plenty of room to rise, so Luffy was a lot less concerned about suffocating in its ash.

“Where are the others?”

Before anyone could answer, there was a louder scream coming from somewhere in the audience. Like a message being passed down the crowd, shouts of terror drowned out the source. Being so far away from the mass of people, they couldn't hear properly, however, from behind Nami, Zoro came up to crouch beside her. "The exits are blocked!"

Torao gave a dark humorless chuckle. "He's using the same tactic."

“Can he see in this dark?” Luffy asked.

“Probably. He has access to all the equipment marines do. We need to find out where he's set up."

"L-Look!" Chopper cried. The two glanced at the short doctor to see him peeking over the edge of the stage. Luffy reached over and grabbed a fist full of the man’s jacket to jerk him back down. “I think K-Kaido was shot!”

“What?" Luffy yelped. Ignoring his previous fear, he gave a glance over the stage, just high enough to see and just long enough to confirm. “Holy shit, Kaido is down. He’s just laying there. You think he’s dead?!”

“Well, let’s not cry about it,” Law said. Luffy side-eyed him in admonishment for the sarcasm. “Should we wait for the next move? Because I'm not looking forward to _why_ he's locked us in here."

“Isn’t Sanji supposed to turn on all the sprinklers?”

“You think water’s gonna stop the bullets?”

“Hey, I’m just wondering what the next step is!”

“I’ve _told_ you what the plan was so many times-”

"Can't we just run for-"

Another gunshot interrupted them and they all flinched, ducking down further and looking around with wide eyes for what was hit without success. Then there was another one and they still had no idea what Akainu was shooting at - they were all here, everyone that he wanted dead. Was he just shooting at random people now?

Between them, Chopper squeaked in a panic and a bigger _thump_ from behind Luffy stopped their conversation cold. Chopper’s look of surprise over his shoulder spoke of fear and when he turned around to see what had caused it, he could see why.

Kaido had jumped the ropes of the ring, landing in the interstitial space with them and standing imposingly in defiance, staring them down with malicious intent in his black eyes. Looking at his body, they were all suddenly aware of where those two bullets went...

It was unclear which order he received the wounds but there was a bleeding hole in his abdomen, another hole on the right side of his chest on the pectoral, looking more jagged like it went through at an angle, meeting the shoulder blade along the way. Then there was the most obvious; half the man’s face and chest was a bloody mess due to a massive chunk of his cheek and jaw missing. In the dark the blood looked like ink, spilling from the small hole on the left, where a bullet entered, and gushing from the other side, where Luffy could see bone.

Luffy never minded zombie movies or games. He would get scared, but after one too many times of his brothers trying to freak him out, he grew desensitized to the special effects and gore.

Not now.

The mangled mess of his opponent’s face looking right at him gave him chills and he heard Law curse in shocked fear as well. Like all the hits Kaido had taken from Luffy, however, the man didn’t seem too concerned with the bullet wound. It was completely outrageous! Unless… “Did he already take the SAD?”

They watched his hand lift to his face, mouth falling open in a disgusting motion. His jaw didn’t align properly, the hole in his cheeks showed missing teeth under the blood that welled up in his mouth. Yet, careless of the pain any normal human would be in with that kind of injury, Kaido took hold of his chin and shifted it back to lock into place.

Flinching at the sight, Luffy swallowed heavily, trying not to gag. He knew that SAD dulled the senses, Jack had barely felt anything either. But a bullet to the face? _Three?!_ That was on another level!

And clearly, Luffy was expected to compete. Kaido obviously thought this was a great time to settle the score, regardless of the events surrounding them. His gaze bore into him with a challenge, shrugging his shoulders like he was ready for the next round and he only spared a glance around him to take in the situation. Or maybe he was looking for Akainu - the one who _shot_ him - if only to say, _“Wait your turn.”_

Luffy was going to have to fight… but it would pull him from cover to do so. He wasn’t so sure he’d be able to take the same amount of damage and wouldn’t like to find out.

“I’ll distract Akainu,” Law said, and Luffy didn't have any chance to protest, not that he knew what to say. “You fight that thing... and don’t lose.”

“Your plans suck, Torao,” Luffy stated.

Things were moving so fast the fighter could barely keep up, especially since his head hadn't stopped pounding yet. He wanted to joke about the situation because there was a bit of panicked hysteria building in his chest, but he also wanted to argue and keep Law beside him. Kaido would be one hell of an enemy to fight, but Law was going up against a murderer with a long-range weapon.

Yet, if someone didn’t take out Akainu or draw his attention away, they’d all get picked off while fighting each other. So what other choice did they have?

He took a deep breath and told his body to _suck it up_. He needed to keep it together, needed to stop Kaido, and be ready for anything. He didn't have time for concussions either, so his eyes better get with the program and stop showing double!

"Chopper, you remember what to do?"

A sharp alarm started going off, shrill and repetitive, echoing through the stadium and joining the thousands of other noises, signaling that a fire had been detected. Grim, an expression that didn’t look right on Chopper’s sweet face, the young man nodded. “I’ll take care of everyone, don’t worry.”

With that, Law made the first move, standing straight and taking off in a run to the east. Luffy was only a few seconds behind, waiting for Akainu's attention to be swayed before leaping from his hiding place to meet Kaido on the west.

He heard more gunshots, plural this time, and his fear for Torao skyrocketed, but he didn't turn to look if anyone was hit. He couldn't, because Kaido was there, with menacing eyes and flying fists and zombie-like face.

He redirected the punch to sail past him and gave a hard punch of his own, the pads of his gloves came back bloody from the direct hit to the already wounded abdomen. However, Kaido just snarled and kicked him back. Despite having that second to prepare, the kick was powerful enough to send him back several paces.

It was quickly becoming clear that none of Luffy’s attacks would do anything and by contrast, any hit from Kaido could end him. His head was _still_ throbbing and his left eye was beginning to swell enough to hinder sight. He had to do something to even the playing field somehow...

First, he ripped off the gloves, throwing them to the side.

“Stop making this harder than it needs to be!” Kaido growled, watching him with impatience. Spittle and blood dribbled from his mouth. “You started this, you little piece of shit. Accept the consequences!”

“You first!”

Second, he put all thoughts of forms and stances out of his mind, going back to the roots of his style; a mixup of types learned, intuition-based, savage in intent. This was the fighting he developed on the streets to protect himself, refined with the teachings given by Shanks. It would have been frowned upon in a professional setting, but here it was obvious that rules and restrictions would not apply. Luffy was fighting for his life, and he was going to use every trick he knew - and he knew a lot

An arm swung at him and Luffy ducked at the last second, twisting to capture the limb and hug it close to his body before turning sharply. With as much strength as he could, he took the larger man’s arm with him, bending it in the opposite way of the elbow’s natural joint and pulling when he felt resistance. There was a pressure, then a _pop_ and Kaido’s arm was effectively broken.

Following that was a kick to the back of the knees to bring Kaido down to an easier height and then another blow to the side of Kaido’s head (he was darkly amused at the payback). A palm strike to the ear could burst eardrums and Kaido let out a vicious sounding howl.

Even if that hurt, it didn’t stop him from swinging around like his body wasn’t falling apart on him. In the near darkness of the stadium, surrounded by yelling and screaming, gunshots, and crashes, Luffy saw his opponent’s eyes narrow with rage and insanity as they put distance between them.

“I’ve had many injuries over my lifetime, a lot of them self-inflicted.” The man said, barely heard with the way he growled it, but he took a step closer to Luffy who maintained their buffer as he thought about his next move. “I’ve jumped from buildings, cut myself, _poisoned_ myself. But as you can see,” He spread his arms out. “I’m still here.”

Sprinklers spurted to life above them, one after another down the line with a sharp popping sound and Luffy shivered at the sudden downpour, drenched in lukewarm water made cold by what little clothing he had on.

Damn, could it get any worse?

... maybe he shouldn’t have thought that.

He blocked a sudden punch to his face and, more out of instinct than an offensive plan, made quick jabs to Kaido’s chest, jumping back to keep distance again, narrowly escaping a grab from the huge arms. With guerilla tactics, he darted in before narrowly dodging retaliation again and again; putting his faster reflexes to use, as it seemed to be the only thing he had to work with.

He just needed time, right? If Kaido took SAD, wouldn’t the effects like _death_ kick in eventually? Kaido couldn’t keep this up indefinitely, he’d bleed out if nothing...

“You think I made SAD for myself?”

Luffy paused, confused.

“SAD was created _from_ me. I didn’t need it to become this strong,” A piece of equipment was picked up, a tripod of some kind from the media crew. With one swipe, a leg was torn off, bent, and broken into jagged edges at the end. “I was already invincible. So when Akainu asked to study my abilities and recreate it for some super-soldier program, I said _why the fuck not?_ At least I’d get money out of it.”

There were a few practice swings that Luffy tried not to flinch at, listening to the sound of air displaced around the metal with each back and forth. Even with the sprinkler’s noisy rainfall, he could hear the power behind each one and he readied himself for the new danger. In the back of his mind, he was trying to understand Kaido’s words and what kind of twist that placed on all their assumptions thus far.

It was never a question on if Kaido would take SAD. The drug hadn’t been for him at all…

Also, Luffy was _fucked_.

With a gasp, he jumped back from the metal pole, stumbling with his arms wheeling to keep balance - the jagged edge sliced into his chest on its way past. Sharp burning pain followed, but Luffy was trying to get his defense back, ducking from the next swing at his head, bringing am arm up to block the next hit, and yelping as the metal struck the bones of his forearm with so much force that his body quaked with the aftershocks. Unable to dodge the next swing, it sliced into his chest again, from another angle.

Trying a new tactic, he got into Kaido’s space, choosing to face the risk of more grabs or punches rather than the poles far reach. He aimed for what would hurt, went past the normal boundaries he set for himself when in a fight, and tried to break bones. His elbow stabbed into the solar plexus, his foot kicked at the kneecap, he jabbed into the pressure points under arms and on the neck. He wouldn’t be ashamed if he had to pull hair or hit below the belt. Because Kaido was giving him no such courtesy.

The pole fell after a nasty strike at the inside elbow where Luffy tore ligaments but when Kaido grabbed at his wrist in return, there was no escape. His other arm barely came up in time to protect his head from another devastating punch that could knock him out. Two hits in quick succession, blocked by his forearm that shook and throbbed from the powerful strikes to the point that Luffy wondered if the bones were going to hold up.

And then he was airborne; the grip on his arm lifting him and tossing him like he weighed nothing at all. His back hit metal and glass of some kind and he tumbled to the ground surrounded by broken equipment. It knocked the breath out of him, but Luffy scrambled to lift himself up.

Catching a glimpse of the large man, he was reminded of a bull, charging at him with wild eyes. He couldn’t move out of the way quickly enough and the huge man collided with him to send him back, shoving him into metal chairs and equipment. His lungs seized at the sudden pressure on his chest as all of Kaido’s force and weight bore down on him. Gasping to get air, his arms came up to defend himself, but a large hand wrapped around his throat and he struggled against the hold.

“I am the ultimate weapon. And you should’ve stayed out of my way.”

He wasn’t winning. _Fuck... he couldn’t- he couldn’t die here. He made a promise!_

He’d long since tuned out the sounds around them, even the gunshots from before, but he swore he was somehow able to pick out Torao’s voice in the chaos; it sounded like a scream of pain. He didn’t know if it was the panic, the lack of oxygen, or the fact that Torao was out there _hurt_ and Luffy wasn’t able to get to him, but tears welled up in his eyes, joining the water running down his face.

Luffy had spent so long trying to gain Law’s trust and affection. Even before he really knew he had a crush, there was something about Torao that Luffy wanted to be close to. Seeing him for the first time at that stupid banquet, he’d wondered what would make the stubborn grump smile. Quickly enough, Luffy had realized that Torao was a good person (even if he disagreed), but life had been unfair to him and he was _afraid_ to love the people that he loved. Because he thought they would leave him.

Torao had been afraid to love Luffy for the same reasons, and Luffy had forced himself into the man’s heart anyway, making promises of forever knowing the amount of power those promises held. Breaking that promise and leaving Torao now would destroy him.

They were supposed to die as old men, with plenty of life and love behind them. Torao would have fucking _laugh lines_ on his face if Luffy had anything to say about it! If he died now, Torao would _cry_. He’d grieve with everything he had like he already did for his parents and little sister and Luffy would be another person he dreamed about being unable to save.

They both had so much to learn about still; about each other and themselves!

He jerked in Kaido’s hold, twisting and squirming to get any leverage, but he was surrounded by the imposing figure of his opponent who did not lessen his hold at all. Spots darted across his vision, shades of black in the darkness that crept in from the edges, and the water falling on his face blended with the sensation of being suffocated until he felt like he was drowning just as much as being choked.

There was a sudden _pop-pop_ from somewhere nearby, unrecognizable to him, and Kaido snarled in rage for some reason Luffy couldn’t tell.

_Luffy’s arm was going tingly, but he refused to move it from underneath Law’s head and disturb him. They were still laying on the bed, speaking to each other in quiet voices, and he was finding his body was warm and relaxed. He hated to admit his doubts out loud, but Torao was smart, and like he said… They were in this together. He was starting to understand how amazing that was._

_“There’s not much time for it, but I’m hoping Sabo can make sense of its properties.”_

_“What, like make an antidote?”_

_“Well, a counteraction if anything. If it works like adrenaline, a sedative might slow it down or stop its effects. It will take a while to know exactly how it works and I only got that little sample from the resort, but it should be enough.” Law’s smile was more of a smirk, and Luffy thought it was devious and beautiful. “I feel like Ikakku is going to bust out a workable formula within hours.”_

_“But.. how does that help? Even if Kaido is on SAD, we can’t get him to the hospital if Akainu pulls any of the tricks he did before.”_

_“Sabo will need to be there, after all, even with Kizaru down, there might be others working for them keeping watch on the exits. And if anything happens, Sabo can use Ikkaku’s formula on Kaido.”_

Suddenly, the hand around his throat slackened, and he could feel Kaido’s towering form list to the side slowly, slumping to the ground partially on top of him. Luffy shook the hand off his throat and took deep breaths, his head swimming from lack of oxygen, his lungs burning and empty - it hurt. Even now that he could breathe, his chest still felt like it was on fire and he thought maybe it was an effect of being asphyxiated or Kaido was super heavy, or maybe he hit something too hard when he was being thrown around.

“Luffy!”

He strained his head and coughed at the movement in his neck, hissing through his teeth. He recognized the voice though and gave a bloody smile even though he couldn’t see through the spots yet.

Sabo, holding a dart gun in hand, trained on Kaido’s form with caution, came over to kick the form off his little brother, rolling the bloody body and revealing the two tranquilizer darts sticking up from his chest. “Shit, you’re bleeding!” Sabo noticed. “Chopper!”

Luffy looked down at the rough edges on his chest, two lines running diagonally in an ‘X’ fashion, deep enough to need stitches. Yet, Luffy just huffed a hoarse laugh, shaking his head. “Find Torao,” He said instead. “Sabo.”

“Calm down, we got it. Trust us, okay?”

* * *

When Law split from their hiding place, he made himself the main target. He jumped over chairs and ducked around whatever was in his way while dodging gunfire, and he was lucky it worked. Without knowing where Akainu was shooting from, without being able to see in the dark, with the obstacles in his way trying to trip him up - making it across the buffering distance without injury was a miracle. If he was any slower he may not have made it, however, his sprint took him to the edge of the stands in seconds.

Jumping over the railing into the seating area, he dropped into a roll just in time for shots to narrowly miss him, passing overhead to lodge into the chairs. Thankfully, guests had since vacated the row and so nothing but metal and concrete were damaged, little chips and debris went flying as Law laid on his stomach below.

It... was familiar.

The _bang-bang_ of gunfire, the screaming of people around him, the fear that froze his body. All that was missing were the corpses; the stench of blood and death, the sorrow of so many lives lost. Law took a deep breath, lifting himself on his elbows and crawling down the row to the aisle, pausing before the stairs. His limbs were numb as they moved, disconnected from the panic in his head that told him to stay and hide. He couldn't afford to do that when Akainu could switch his attention back to Luffy.

And if Luffy was fighting, so was he.

So, he tensed his legs and sprung forward to cross the aisle, feeling a new barrage of bullets close behind. They were fast but came in single shots; a rifle of some kind, which meant there was a distance between them: medium to long-range. A handgun would have less accuracy the further away he was... and the bullet Law had dug out of Ace’s chest had been more commonly used in hunting.

He reached another row, falling back down to the ground before he could get fully across to the next aisle. Akainu was a good shot, given time he'd be able to follow the trajectory of Law's path - it was a straight one after all. He needed to change that.

Crawling a little further, Law edged closer to the end of the seating and laid flat against the smooth stained concrete. Slowly, he lifted himself up to look over the concrete lip before it transitioned into a metal railing. Through the little gap between the two, he tried to peer in the direction the shots were coming from.

The darkness put everything in monochrome and the spectators - thousands of trapped victims, were still scrambling to leave their seats in the upper rows. Nobody knew where to go, the exits were blocked and probably had a clog of people trying to push through, backing up the halls and aisles to the top of the stands. It made it nearly impossible to identify anyone in particular who would have set up with a rifle.

“ _Law_.”

A small whispered voice saying his name made him look around for the source, confused and frightened that someone would see and recognize him right now. It made sense when he looked up to the row above and on the other side of the aisle; Usopp was laying down on the floor there, visibly shaking. Just in case he needed the reminder, Law lifted a finger to his lips to keep him quiet.

Usopp ducked his head down further but came an inch closer to whisper over to him. “He’s in the stands by the VIP box.”

Cautiously, Law peeked over to look in that direction, hoping that the small crevice would hide him from even night-vision enhanced sight. Now that he was looking in the vicinity, he could see a dark shadow in the middle of one of the rows. Akainu must be crouched there, using the railing to hold his rifle steady.

It was a good few rows up from the stage and Law had no idea how he could get to that side of the stadium, much less traverse up the stairs without getting seen and hit.

“I can’t call the police or anything,” Usopp continued. “There’s a blocker of some kind. I was still recording when everything went out, but I can’t film anything in the dark and my light is too obvious.”

Right. Flashlights! Many people had taken their phones out to use as light sources so they weren’t stumbling over each other but it did little to help in such a wide space. Mostly, the beams just flickered between movement and people, shining chaotically through space.

He wiggled in place to reach into his pants pocket, feeling the smooth handle of his knife and the blocky plastic of his phone. He pulled the flat piece of technology free and looked at the back to the ring of LEDs this phone came with. It wasn’t any more powerful than the other audience members, and probably not as bright as Usopp’s seeing as the man outfitted his phone for better video quality. But it was enough because Akainu had to be using some sort of equipment to see in the dark, whether it was goggles or scope, and that only worked by magnifying light. A direct beam of it would be blinding.

Flipping it over and covering it with his hand to smother the source, Law turned on the flashlight mode via his phone’s menu. Immediately his hand began to glow with the powerful backlight behind it and Law grinned darkly in response.

“Run to the others when you have the chance.” He told Usopp.

Taking a deep inhale to prepare himself, he hoped that this would work, then stood. Removing his hand from the bright flashlight, he aimed the source in Akainu’s direction and took off at a run up the steps. He chose to go up first so that he would be higher than Akainu’s position and when he got to the aisle that led directly to the VIP box’s door, he picked up the pace.

Every second mattered and while the light from the phone would make it difficult, Akainu could just remove the gear he was using. His eyes would need to adjust to the dark naturally, and Law couldn’t be caught in the open when that happened. Each step hit the concrete in a rhythm, faster and faster, and the dark figure Usopp had pointed out to him before slowly became more defined with recognizable features the closer he got. The first thing he noticed was the plan clothing he wore, dark and nondescript, Law wouldn’t have known it was Akainu if it weren’t for the facial scar...

Then he saw the barrel of a pistol pointed his way and he practically leaped into the VIP box before Akainu could pull the trigger.

Light from the phone illuminated the small room, glass catching the glare, soft comfortable chairs, and a table full of food lit up before Law scrambled to turn it off. Carpet rubbed roughly against his palms when he fell to the floor, turning to hide behind a table and it’s long cloth cover. Next, he tried to regulate his breathing, his pants from the sprint over, and the fear in his chest made it hard to pull oxygen, much less do so quietly.

There was a popping sound that made him jump in fright, so high strung that he was still expecting a gunshot, but it was only the sprinkler going off above. The spray of water helped to cover the sound of his breathing but it also made it hard to listen for Akainu. All around him, the water soaked into everything; the sofa chairs, the covered table, the ruined food, his clothes.

His hand dropped the phone to grab hold of his knife instead. The opening of the blade made no noise and he forced himself to exhale slowly, silently, his senses focused on the sounds around him.

It’s not like Akainu was trying to be sneaky. He didn’t need to be when he knew he had the advantage. Even if he couldn’t see him through the tablecloth, Law could sense him as he entered the viewer box.

“Law,” The Marine called like he was some kind of pet. Law’s hands shook, and he gripped the knife tighter. “This didn’t have to be personal. I let you live even knowing Rocinante’s betrayal. For years I said nothing about your heritage. All you had to do was be thankful the Marines gave you mercy.”

_Just a little closer_.

“But you didn’t learn a damn thing. You just kept getting involved.”

He spun around the table, keeping low to the ground, and revealed himself just to the side and slightly behind the marine who had been checking behind each piece of furniture while he talked. He didn’t want to spare the milliseconds it would take to stand; unlike Kizaru, Akainu was ready for him with his weapon already prepared so his attack wouldn’t be any kind of surprise.

Indeed, Akainu was already spinning around to meet him, the barrel of his gun trained just at the right height and Law raised his arm to grab hold of the man’s wrist to stop it’s motion, his other hand with the knife thrusting forward to bury into Akainu’s side.

It didn’t quite make it. Akainu shifted his balance at the last second and twisted, the knife barely catching on his jacket as it went past. Suddenly there was a knee in Law’s chest and he was off-balance too.

His grip around Akainu’s wrist tightened, even when he stumbled, even when he coughed from the spasm caused by the blow to his diaphragm, and his strength was tested when Akainu pushed. A table dug into his hip, threatening to topple over as plates and utensils spilled over to the ground, his back was pressed over what was left on the surface as Akainu’s elbow dug into his collarbone.

With his weight and more, Akainu tried to turn his weapon towards Law’s face, overpowering him slowly until the cold metal of the barrel could be felt on his ear.

By instinct, he raised his other arm and spun the knife to hold it in a reverse grip, blade pointing down, and sunk it blindly where he could reach. Akainu hissed in pain, trying to retreat from where Law had buried it in his shoulder. Letting him go would put him back at a disadvantage with the gun though, so he followed.

He was lifted from the table, pulling the knife out as he went and while he thought he had a better position to Akainu’s side it seemed to have left him open too. Another hit to his stomach weakened him enough for the marine’s hand to jolt down.

A gunshot echoed within the small viewer’s box and Law couldn’t help the scream of pain as his shoulder flared in agony. Then he was spinning, not just dizzy with the shock of being shot, but physically as Akainu jerked him into a hold. Law’s back hit against the man’s chest, one arm going around his shoulders to keep him there, the knife in his hand was gone - did he drop it?

The gun was pressed to his temple and he felt a wave of - not fear, not panic, but _sadness_.

“Hey!”

His eyes were blinded by a light and for a split second, he wanted to laugh because ‘seeing the light at the end of the tunnel’ was a saying he always rolled his eyes at. Yet, there in the darkness there was suddenly a bright white across his field of vision. The water still pouring from the sprinklers already made it hard to see and he blinked drops from his eyelashes to try and make out the source.

“Smile for the camera! We’re recording!”

That was Usopp’s voice, the man followed him up here? Impressive, for someone who was scared of everything, but then again, Luffy’s friends always came through when you needed them.

“Akainu Sakazuki, everyone! Marine, murderer, probably a Capricorn,” The man’s voice wavered, the only sign of his fear (and maybe the shaking of his knees, not that they could see that).

He could feel Akainu’s body straighten in alarm and he was thankful for Usopp’s interference but worried on another level when the gun removed itself from his temple to shoot at Luffy’s friend instead.

Immediately seeing the distraction and chance that he had, he made his move.

Luffy may have been the professional fighter, but Law wasn’t half-bad at brawls and his boyfriend has shown him a thing or two while watching his fights. He rammed his elbow back into Akainu’s gut, even if it hurt his shoulder, and the gun fired into the glass, missing Usopp by a wide margin. Then he ducked under the restraining arm, wiggling loose enough to put room between them for a back kick, dropping and rolling to the floor with the momentum.

The windows must not have been tempered, or it was never expected to hold up to a bullet, because it shattered and sprinkled the floor with nuggets of glass that dug into Law as he rushed out of the VIP room, turning the corner of the wall on the other side of Usopp. He heard Akainu’s frustrated growl and the crunch of glass under the leather soles of his shoes before the man came following them.

“Shit,” Law cursed as he realized Usopp’s ploy had worked a little too well and he glanced over, ready to tell the man to run, but found that he didn’t have to. All he could see of Usopp was the man’s curly hair bouncing as he sprinted down the steps of the stadium, putting a good distance between them.

In the place where he stood, however, was another figure Law never thought he’d be so happy to see.

From his slumped position on the other side of the doorway, he got a perfect view of the way Ace got into a swing-stance. Like he was ready to play baseball instead of putting out a fire like his heavy uniform would suggest. The bat that he gripped with both hands was a literal crowbar that he probably used to break into the stadium or through whatever blockade Akainu had made.

_“Say he pulls the same shit,” Luffy waved his hand in the air above them like he was gesturing to said shit. “Say he could block multiple exits, lock in thousands of people, all without being seen, and set a fire. It could take Sabo a while to get to us.”_

_“Oh, right,” Law’s voice was full of snark. “If only you had another brother that broke into buildings to free trapped people and fight fires for a living.”_

_“... Hey.”_

_Law started to laugh and Luffy grumbled. “We’ll be as ready as we can be. Maybe none of this will happen and we’ve gone overboard.”_

_“Yeah, that sounds like something you’d do.”_

_“Hey!”_

Even in the darkness, Law could see the glitter of anticipation in Ace’s eyes, the freckles on his nose moving with the smirk on his lips. The moment Akainu’s form stepped out of that room the crowbar swung with no hesitation; Akainu couldn’t predict such an attack. His eyes widened in surprise, but there was no time for anything else. He couldn’t raise his arm to block, and the gun at his side did nothing against the cold steel coming for his face.

There was a particular ring that Law couldn’t explain, and Akainu didn’t make a single sound when he dropped to the floor like a marionette with the strings cut. He was unconscious before he fell, body still as he laid on his back just within the doorway.

Law didn’t get up immediately, even though he had to wonder if the crowbar didn’t kill him. Blunt trauma of that sort would most definitely crack open a skull. First, he had to take a moment to sit and breathe, his body still so wound up that the hole in his shoulder was still just a throbbing pain. “Thanks.”

Ace kicked the weapon from Akainu’s hand and gave them both a look over. “No prob. We could call it even, yeah?”

With a chuff of cut off laughter, Law struggled to stand, pushing against the wall at his back for balance. “Sure.”

A crooked grin settled over Ace’s face, and he reached out to steady the man in an uncharacteristic gentle moment, ruined the next second when the firefighter patted him on his good shoulder and said, “Need to be carried out of here, doc?”

“Not on my fuckin’ life.” He’d already had that experience, _thank you_.

Ace laughed at him, crowbar settled on his shoulders, water dripping from his helmet. “I got the bastard. Go see my brother.”

He didn’t need to be told twice, he was already making for the steps.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone! I'm happy to get this chapter out! It went through a few revisions and then I had a hard time at work for a while and had no time for it. A lot of projects that were on hold for COVID are coming back online all at once, so I'm swamped. Also, have another Architectural Exam coming up so I'm trying to study. Trying, the the operative word :(
> 
> Hope everyone is doing okay! Happy readings, stay safe and stay tuned for the last chapter which will be a good close to this wonderful story.


	30. Moonlight - Chapter 30

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Home held a special meaning to them. For Law, it was something precious lost that he found once more in the people he loved. For Luffy, it was a thing he never had until his friends and family pieced one together into something he treasured. It wasn’t just a physical place, it was the sense of belonging, and Luffy and Law had created that sense in each other.

The hospital was fairly quiet today, Law noticed. There weren’t many people rushing down the halls, the patients were cooperative, the staff wasn’t behind on administrative duties (much). Law would even say it was peaceful, but maybe that was just from where he was sitting, warm, reclined in a corner of the guest sofa with a window to look out of. The sun was beginning to dip down behind buildings and the mountains to the west, casting oranges and reds across the sky.

The guest chairs were still as uncomfortable as ever, always overstuffed and covered in a laminated fabric to better withstand the hard sanitizing cleaners the staff used. It made a rustling noise every time he shifted, which was loud in the aforementioned silence, but it wasn’t enough to drown out the beep of the heart monitor or the _whooshing_ of the pumps.

If Law tried hard enough, he could hear the sound of the patient’s breathing on the hospital bed; in and out - slow and steady. Maybe it was because of his specialization and interest in the cardiothoracic, but Law thought that the noises from each vital function monitor seemed to make a melody.

It was cheesy, but he could go on to think of the heart’s beat like a steady drum, the lungs like a whistle as soft as a flute, the machinery in the forefront like horned instruments. All coming together to play the song as unique and individual as the person conducting them. The sounds of life. A song that would play on a loop until piece by piece, the tune fell apart. The heart would stop and the metronome keeping pace would break, the lungs stuck on the last note and fading away...

Maybe he just had a dark sense of humor and his overworked brain was going off on weird tangents. This wasn’t poetic, it was creepy. His friends would agree if he said it out loud, saying that he must be delusional, especially considering how he looked the part. While his clothes were clean and he took a shower, it still looked like he'd been… well, _shot_.

Maybe he always looked a little gaunt, but it was hard to mistake the paleness of his skin from blood-loss, the darkness of his eyes from something more than normal sleep deprivation. Normally, he was never wandering the hospital in casual attire either, but now he wore faded blue jeans, roughed up boots, a button-down short-sleeved shirt that showed his unorthodox tattoos, and a five o’clock shadow.

He didn’t look like a doctor who worked here, but that was a blessing in disguise when even the nurses didn’t immediately recognize him as someone to bother. Even off duty and without the white coat, staff would take the chance to ask him questions, but now he looked like a patient. His right arm was in a sling meant to immobilize his shoulder and there was a wristband on to label him as a registered inpatient.

It was strange being on the other end of the situation, walking into the emergency room for treatment, admitted into an exam room with a doctor meant to fix his injury. Dr. Kureha worked on the bullet wound in his arm, scrutinized the entire time by Law. He would have done it himself if he could, he couldn't help but judge every step of the process, but his colleague was good at her job and could probably teach him a thing or two.

However, he was firm about working on Luffy himself. He was too paranoid about someone overlooking something or not doing it right.

They may have argued with him, told him he shouldn’t take the shoulder brace off, that the more he used his arm the slower it would heal… Like he didn’t know. It wasn’t like that stopped him, but he had his priorities on _when_ to ignore doctor’s instructions.

Halfway between giving the nurse the middle finger, snatching the supplies himself, and ignoring all sensible logic, he realized he was acting like the stereotypical 'doctors make the worst patients' trope. Even Chopper had given up, stating that two doctors were better than one. Whatever.

_"Shut up, Luffy-ya," He had grumbled._

_"I didn't do anything!"_

_"You're laughing."_

_"Only in my head!"_

Law couldn’t help the way his lips lifted into a smirk, remembering how Luffy allowed him to hover. Saying nothing when Law performed extra tests to ensure there was no internal bleeding, sitting calmly while Law administered a tetanus shot, indulging in his mothering even when they both knew Luffy had come out of that fight pretty well off.

The cuts on his chest were superficial; only deep enough for stitches and will probably heal with minor scarring, he had a ring of bruises on his neck and sore larynx, but by far the most dangerous of his injuries was the concussion he’d gotten from the initial blow in the ring. Due to that, the fighter was monitored closely throughout the day to ensure he didn’t have any major symptoms of a concussion.

 _It was like babysitting_ , Law thought dryly. After the excitement of everything was over Luffy grew bored and hungry. Every time Law looked away it seemed like his boyfriend disappeared to go play with the younger patients or sneak into the staff lounge for food, and he’d give Law this look of innocence when found that was completely fake. But, as much as it annoyed him to have to hunt him down when all he wanted was to wrap Luffy up in an embrace he’d never escape from, at least it kept him busy.

By the weight leaning into him, Law could say it successfully wore him out as well. Law shifted a little to get Luffy’s head higher on his shoulder and sighed at the feeling of the man’s warmth along his side. The time to worry about Luffy falling asleep with a head injury had passed, so he didn’t disturb the man when he tipped sideways to take a nap on him. It happened almost mid-sentence while Luffy explained some adventurous movie they needed to see; words slowing, eyes closing until he was mumbling the words into Law’s shoulder before going quiet.

Law freed his one working arm from the loose hold to wrap it around the man, settling him more comfortably and giving him more support as his body relaxed fully. Finally, with the combination of Luffy in his arms and the tranquility around him, Law was soothed.

Ideally, they would have been home hours ago, but the mess at the stadium took forever to sort out. Thousands of people had to be calmed and plenty were injured by the sheer chaos, police and firefighters made arrests and put out flames still struggling under the sprinkler’s downpour. They had to give their statements about what happened and evidence of how and why.

It all sort of unfolded; the more they uncovered the deeper and more complex the story got until even higher level officials got involved. The atmosphere gets pretty tense when one calls out the corruption of the Marine forces, or the underground drug manufacturing and experimentations happening right under everyone’s nose.

Hours later and things still weren’t finished.

He would rather send Luffy home to truly rest by this point, even though he looked comfortable enough from where he was. The fighter wore loose clothes that he’d had with him to change into after the fight and - as was becoming customary for some reason - Law’s yellow hoodie. The doctor didn’t recall even packing that thing so Luffy must have planned to wear it.

Regardless of the theft, it made Law feel warm and happy to see the younger man bundled in something that was Law’s, breathing deeply like he enjoyed the smell. His hands folded in the excess fabric of the sleeves where the cuffs hung over his fingers and the hood helped to pillow his head on Law’s shoulder.

He wished they were home, where Law knew they could be alone and didn’t have to worry about interruptions. They’d lay on the bed, limbs tangled; maybe Luffy would argue about being the big spoon and wrap himself around Law (who would give a token of a complaint, but smile as Luffy smothered him).

Thick black hair, disorganized into a mess of strands because Luffy never brushed it, tickled at Law’s neck and he twisted his head a bit to flatten it with his cheek, brushing lips over the man’s forehead in a soft kiss. Nobody was there to see him nuzzle just a little closer, hug just a little tighter, but his whole world seemed to center on this moment because he knew how close he’d come to losing it...

For so long he’s danced with death. One could say he was obsessed with it; when it would happen, how it would happen, and why it would happen. He was no stranger to it when he was a child, even before witnessing it himself. His parents were doctors, he knew their work made all the difference on whether someone lived to see another day or fell into an eternal sleep.

He knew it much more intimately later on. Death was all over him, literally on his hands, figuratively from his work, and while he’d gone through life making the best of it, knowing its value, only recently had he truly looked forward to it. Instead of a clock counting down to the time he breathes his last, now, he found himself counting the days he’s lived.

He treasured every second of it when he was with Luffy because those moments were the brightest. He’d stretch seconds into eternity to hear Luffy’s laugh, freeze time to feel his touch forever, spend lifetimes memorizing every shade of brown in those eyes.

Never had he thought someone would be so essential to him. He never thought he’d meet someone for whom he’d drop everything just to see them smile. Sure, he would sacrifice his career, his life, and all the possessions he had for his family, but Luffy only wanted _him_. And all he had to do was ask because Law only wanted to see Luffy happy.

The doctor would spend the rest of his life letting Luffy invade his space, trust him with everything he was, let go of control, and all logical thought - if that’s what it took. Finally, he thinks he understands the depth of his heart and how stupid and wonderful it was to prioritize someone above all else. And he can’t make fun of Shachi’s romance books anymore when all the cheesy poems in the world weren’t enough to describe what Luffy meant to him.

And he barely had a taste of it before it was almost taken away.

When the cold press of a gun’s barrel touched his temple back in the stadium, all he could think about was the stolen time he’d never have. This vision of the future in which Law would continue learning about love and how it felt to love, and _being_ loved so deeply - would fade away to nothing if Law died there.

He owed so much more than just his life to Usopp and Ace. How could he repay them for this moment, or all future moments of such priceless value?

As if he were summoned, Luffy’s eldest brother came into the patient room with little concern for being quiet. The large door opened with a loud clack and the heavy boots thumped against the resilient floor. Still dressed in the clothes he wore under the fire-suit he looked worn out, sweaty, and smelling of smoke, but relieved to finally be off the clock.

He stumbled over to shove Luffy’s legs to the floor to make space on the couch, collapsing onto it with dramatic flair. It could barely hold the two men on it already and Law would have been more irritated if he didn’t understand how deserving the firefighter was at having a rest. And he was just thinking about debts owed…

Besides, Luffy was awake from the moment the door opened and true to sibling nature, just growled and half-heartedly kicked at his brother before settling back against Law in a way that suggested he was going back to sleep. Chocolate eyes closed again, but he sleepily asked, “Can we go home now?”

Ace grunted, head back and eyes also closed. “Soon. Sabo’s wrapping things up with paperwork.”

“Boring,” Luffy grumbled.

“That’s what he gets for being smart and getting a degree.”

The younger man shifted in his position, reaching up to rub at his eyes with the wrist cuff of the hoodie and yawning. Law thought it was unnecessary to be so cute for a grown man, but soon questioned his boyfriend’s mental age when he whined. “I’m hungry.”

“Me too,” Ace said. “Wanna get food from the cafeteria? Torao’s paying.”

At the prospect of food, Luffy was suddenly a lot more perky, sitting up straighter with eyes shining in excitement. Law didn’t even bother taking the bait for that one, after all, he knew that both of them were likely starving going by the time of day since the last meal, the energy expelled, and their insane metabolisms.

While he yearned for the sleepy snuggles and quiet tranquility back, he enjoyed watching his boyfriend’s sprightly nature return in full force too. That deceptively small body practically vibrated off the seat in his enthusiasm, standing up to face the two on the sofa with a powerful grin. _Zero to one hundred in two-point-five seconds._

“Food! Food! Let’s go!” Wide happy eyes turned to Law. “You coming with us?”

With a shake of his head, the grin fell just a little but Law gave an affectionate smile back. “Someone has to wait for Sabo’s team to get in, remember?”

Ever since the resort bombing the day before, many agents were either injured or lost completely, and the tragedy left Sabo short. Law’s crew were able to fill in for the medical and laboratory needs (Law was kind of smug about the fact that Ikkaku _did_ come up with a workable formula against SAD in less than 24 hours), but they couldn’t help make arrests. A new team was inbound to assist, but until they arrived, someone had to do the work.

The grin was replaced with a dramatic pout and whine. “Fine,” He dragged out like a child. “Want me to bring something back for you?”

He loved this idiot so much. “Coffee?”

“Yeah!” The fighter agreed happily, leaning over to place a big wet kiss on Law’s cheek. “We’ll be back in a bit! Come on, Ace.”

When Luffy separated from Law, he leaned to the other side to grab Ace’s arm instead, pulling him up impatiently. Ace groaned, obviously sad about leaving his reclined position, but his stomach growled pretty loud in the next second so it seemed that the need for food won. “At least the hospital food here doesn’t totally suck.”

“You’d eat it even if it did!”

“Well, yeah. But it’s certainly no five-star restaurant.”

“Some days Sanji will come to make soups and stuff.”

“Is that today?” 

“I don’t know! Maybe!”

Law watched the two, loud in everything they did as they walked out of the room and even as the door closed behind them, the doctor could still hear them in the hallway. He wondered how much he would have bickered with Lami had they got the chance; she was such a sweet girl it’s hard for him to imagine, but there was potential there. Sometimes he thinks she’d be like Cora; nagging him about the bags under his eyes and skipping meals, teasing him about how soft he was inside, and destroying his reputation for being cold-hearted.

He sighed as the quiet returned but the peace of the moment before was lost; it didn’t carry the same serenity without Luffy at his side. His thoughts were always louder without the fighter there to bring him out of his head. A beautiful sunset was still behind him and he watched the warm rays of light tint the room a reddish yellow, sharp shadows cutting through it where mullions and blinds blocked the sun. They kept the light from directly shining on the head of the bed so it didn’t disturb the patient, but when Law glanced at the prone figure he noticed that they were awake anyway.

Eyes fluttered in an attempt to wake and the head shifted only to be surprised at the nasal cannula wrapped around their face. Law watched them for a moment as they became more aware of their surroundings and predicament, pulling at their right hand to find it cuffed to the stretcher and investigating the dressings on their head tenderly. When the initial confusion faded, Law made his presence known.

“Admiral Sakazuki, you are at the Polar Tang Hospital.” He started with a basic greeting that he would give all the patients upon first waking up in his care. Although he could care less if this man needed the reassurance, he forcibly presented the few good bedside manners he had as a doctor. “You sustained severe trauma to the head. Do you remember the events leading up to the _accident_?” Law emphasized the last word with sarcasm, unable to keep a completely professional front.

The expression on Akainu’s face twisted; first into confusion which showed that he didn’t recall. Forgetting was common, especially since there had been only a split second for the man to have recognized the crowbar flying at his face. Then it was clear that he must have remembered at least some moments leading up to it because his second emotion was concern (and Law _loved_ the sight of his fear) before he tumbled into anger.

Dark brown, almost red eyes locked onto Law and the snarl on the man’s lips was silent but telling. “You’re lucky,” Akainu’s voice was rough and thick, like gravel. “You keep escaping death.”

“Yeah, I guess so.” Law agreed that a part of his survival may have been luck, he couldn’t shake the belief in fate, but he didn’t get to where he was on that belief alone. “Or maybe I just outsmarted you.”

He didn’t seem to like that answer, but the grimace on his face could also be one of pain when he brushed his free hand a little higher on his forehead to trace the wound underneath the bandages. “What do you think will happen now, little flea? Do you think I’ll get in trouble? You think you can arrest me and put me in jail?”

“We _do_ have video of you trying to kill several people. Shooting at a public event and causing mass panic.”

“Trying to kill several _terrorists,_ you mean? You and that boxer are threats to our security. Who do you think they’ll believe, an immigrant like you or an admiral like me?”

“You don’t have as much support as you think you do,” Law scoffed. “Doflamingo sold you out, Kaido may do the same but either way we have you connected with SAD, and I gave Kizaru’s phone over to the investigators. Odds are stacked.”

There was a minute of contemplation. Akainu sighed, looking towards the ceiling as his hand dropped to his side. “You remember what I told you about mistakes, Law?”

Of course Law did, the conversation they had in the coffee shop over two years ago was still fresh in his mind. _It’s amazing what one little mistake can cause_ , he’d said. And Law had been the mistake in question. Akainu had shaken his entire world that day in suggesting that Cora was _haunted_ by the choices he made to save Law - like he was a curse following him for the rest of his life.

“The biggest mistake I ever made was believing that I could save everyone. Or that everyone deserved to be saved. That’s what the Marines are supposed to stand for. It’s what Flevance stood for, wasn’t it?”

Law’s hands shook. Akainu continued speaking as if he were telling a story.

“You had a religious belief against all violence and a scientific background that turned Flevance into the center of medical advancement. The _sick_ used to come from all over the world to your country because they knew they would be cared for; you never turned anyone away, even if it was hopeless. Do you still believe that?”

The doctor struggled not to say _yes_ , because half of his life had been spent learning how to save lives, knowing how precious they were. Luffy helped him remember what it felt like to be the doctor he dreamed about being; the doctor his parents would have been proud of. The kind of man who would try to save an enemy like Kizaru after he attacked them.

However, he also spent a big chunk of his life under Doflamingo, watching or letting people die because they were too _weak and pathetic_ to live and they didn’t deserve his help. It was hopeless to believe they had a chance, why would Law fight for them or put his life on the line for those who wouldn’t do the same in return?

“Did that kindness save your country from being occupied and extorted for White Amber?” Akainu continued to ask when Law had taken too long to answer. “Did anyone help them when they became sick and began to die? No. They quarantined your city and let you rot.” Akainu scoffed. “People don’t respect kindness, it’s human nature to take advantage.”

“What is your point?” Law growled. “That you shouldn’t help anyone? Survival of the fittest, every man for themselves? Why even be in the Marines when you obviously don’t give a shit about protecting anyone?”

“The marines are the most powerful force in the world and the people trust us to protect them… but we didn’t get there by being _nice_. It needs a backbone. It's people like me that keep us strong; take down our enemies, advance our weaponry, find new ways of protecting who we can. All while keeping the public’s opinion of us as bright and benevolent as possible.”

Suddenly, the situation just seemed… funny. Maybe it was because Akainu sounded like a delusional psycho with some holy mission to take out the bad guys and keep everyone safe from the shadows like a vigilante. Maybe the big talk didn’t have the same effect when the ‘threat’ was laying down, cuffed to a bed after getting hit with a metal bar that fractured his skull.

This marine used to be someone Luffy and Law were so afraid of. Now, he was nothing. Law wondered if this was what victory felt like; they had won the battle, defeated their enemies, and arrested both, but the doctor didn’t feel the rush of satisfaction. There’s no question in his mind that Akainu deserved to be brought to justice and pay for his actions, but for now, Law was just relieved that he didn’t have to fight anymore. He and Luffy were alive and together, and he’d rather be in the cafeteria with him than trading words with Akainu.

With good timing, the patient room’s door opened after a few timid knocks, revealing Sabo and Koala on the other side. “Law, are you ready to go?” Sabo called. “The team is here to take over security.”

Law stood with a smirk on his lips, glancing at Akainu before leaving. “There are people in this world who are too kind.” He said. Like Luffy, Cora, Bepo, and all the other truly innocent and selfless people in his life who had helped him when he needed it just because it was right. “I wouldn’t want them to change and I will protect them with everything I am, but that doesn’t mean they're weak. Their love _is_ their strength. You are no god who can decide who should live or die. You’re human, like everyone else.”

He took a step before pausing in thought, the smirk on his face growing. “And you’ve recently suffered a great injury. As a doctor, I’d say you might need to rely on others’ _kindness_ to recover but, who knows, your situation is still critical.”

Whether the barb stuck or not, he couldn’t care anymore. He followed Sabo passed the few agents in the corridor, leaving the room and the criminal on the bed with a last raised middle finger as the door shut.

Sabo huffed, amused as they started down the hall. “Did he give you issues?”

“Nope, but if you ask I’m sure Penguin will give you a recording of the conversation for more incriminating evidence.”

Sabo grins, and although his complexion and mannerisms differ greatly from his siblings most of the time, this expression was so close to Luffy’s that Law couldn’t help but turn his lips up in a small smile too.

“Is Kaido awake as well?”

“No, after seeing the effects of SAD - or well, the basis of it, we’re keeping him sedated until transport to a safer lockdown facility.” Law wondered if Kaido would go to the same place as Doflamingo. Maybe they’d be cell-mates. Sabo’s next words brought him out of that imagery. “You know, with you around, I think my brother will do just fine. I’m glad he has someone like you to watch over him.”

Law gave the younger man a confused look, finding sincerity behind the tease that surprised him. Before he could process the worlds and formulate a response, the last door to the cafeteria opened and the small audience within wasn’t ideal for whatever he could say.

_Of course Luffy would be fine, I would do anything to keep him happy._

_Thank you, knowing that you accept me means a lot._

_I was going to continue seeing Luffy even without your approval._

_Luffy would be just fine on his own, but I’m glad to be a part of his life._

_He’s done so much more for me than I have for him._

“Torao!” Luffy’s voice was bright and Law could already hear the grin on his lips before seeing him sitting at a round table near the buffet bar. The surface of the table was laden with dishes and Ace was face-first into one of them, snoring away. Law was unsure if it was a cataplexy episode or just natural exhaustion from the day he’s had but Luffy was obviously taking pictures of his sibling before seeing the two new arrivals.

“Ace and I ate a whole lot and I’m stuffed,” The man patted his belly to show how full it was. “I saved you some rice balls though! Oh, and your coffee!”

He stood with a paper bag in one hand and a coffee in the other, holding the latter for Law to take, which he did. “Thank you,” He said, feeling the warmth in his chest again; the calmness of Luffy’s soul next to his. “Let’s go home.”

They looked over to where Sabo was poking at his older brother’s head and he paused to wave them away. “I’ll take care of him, go on.”

They didn’t argue, happy to leave and walk out of the hospital into the last rays of light fading off, finally revealing the black sky of night. Part of the day felt like a dream honestly, but at the end of it they were together, going home, and Law couldn’t care about anything more.

 _Home_ held a special meaning to them. For Law, it was something precious lost that he found once more in the people he loved. For Luffy, it was a thing he never had until his friends and family pieced one together into something he treasured. It wasn’t just a physical place, it was the sense of belonging, and Luffy and Law had created that sense in each other.

With that, Luffy took Law’s free hand with his and gently pulled him along, fingers lacing together. Law gave a little squeeze back and looked down at his coffee, partly to fight down the blush on his cheeks.

By the smell alone, Law knew what Luffy had gotten for him; he must have remembered what Law liked and ordered it specifically - it wasn’t the first time he’d done that but it gave the doctor butterflies every time. He lifted the cup to take a drink but his eyes caught sight of something at the last second. He pulled it up to look at the handwriting on the thermal protective cover, made in black ink.

At first, the warm feeling in his chest gave way to ice, thinking that the barista must have been pulling another flirtatious hook which must have been meant for _Luffy_ and -

_I ❤ You! _

On second thought, this note was more personal than a coy ‘call me ;)’ and there were no phone digits below. And he recognized that horrid handwriting…

Upon glancing at his boyfriend, his theory was confirmed as the dark eyes locked onto him with a mischievousness in their depths, the smug grin on his face was the icing on the cake. _This cute little conniving brat._

Slowly, a grin mirrored on Law’s face, and he couldn’t fight the redness of his cheeks this time. He almost wanted to scorn himself for having such a heartwarming reaction but his body was too busy melting against his will. “I love you too.”

He wasn’t scared of those words anymore, or the feeling inside of him that he used to shy away from; life was too short to be afraid of loving fully, and Luffy deserved nothing less. Besides, by the way Luffy giggled and tipped up to kiss him, he figured it was too late to escape anyway.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The end, everyone! This story is finished, but no worries, there will be a sequel! Well, more a collection of connected one-shots. There are a lot of moments I wish I could have delved into and a few scenes I wrote that didn't make it into the story. 
> 
> Thank you all for sticking with me on this journey. I loved being able to write again and these characters are so close to me. Please leave a comment and tell me what you think! Hope for you to be happy and healthy!


End file.
